animalmom
Herd Master
Looking forward to your new article!
HomesteaderWife - Tales from Wolf Branch [05/10/2023 - The New Fella!]
- Thread starter HomesteaderWife
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Baymule
Herd Master
I raised show rabbits many years ago. The show quality sold for $20-$35 and the culls were butchered and sold for $3 frozen. Did I mention many years ago? 
I had more rabbit recipes than you could shake a stick at. Basically anything you use chicken for, substitute rabbit. But I got real creative with rabbit sausage, rabbit chili and bunny burgers. 
Good luck with your rabbits. They make good small homestead animals.
I had more rabbit recipes than you could shake a stick at. Basically anything you use chicken for, substitute rabbit. But I got real creative with rabbit sausage, rabbit chili and bunny burgers. Good luck with your rabbits. They make good small homestead animals.
Poka_Doodle
Herd Master
Exciting news
samssimonsays
Milo & Me Hoppy Tail Acres
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Ah! Yay! Merry Christmas LOL
- Thread starter
- #95
HomesteaderWife
Herd Master
My second article/blog on Mother Earth News was just published, and I FINALLY found the link to it- phew!
This was interesting to write, because it covers 5 different squirrel calls you can make fairly simply with items found around your home. I made a short example video to go along with it, which is included with the article. I wanted a way to help attract squirrels back to the area and get them a bit more relaxed after taking a shot, so a bit of brainstorming led to five pretty cool ways to mimic the sound they make called "cutting". The best part is, anyone can do it. It isn't some fancy call you have to buy online- it's a quick, hands on project.
From a very rain-soaked day in Alabama, I wish everyone here an early and very merry Christmas. May your holidays be blessed and joyful!
5 Easy Squirrel Calls
http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/5-easy-squirrel-calls-zbcz1512.aspx
This was interesting to write, because it covers 5 different squirrel calls you can make fairly simply with items found around your home. I made a short example video to go along with it, which is included with the article. I wanted a way to help attract squirrels back to the area and get them a bit more relaxed after taking a shot, so a bit of brainstorming led to five pretty cool ways to mimic the sound they make called "cutting". The best part is, anyone can do it. It isn't some fancy call you have to buy online- it's a quick, hands on project.
From a very rain-soaked day in Alabama, I wish everyone here an early and very merry Christmas. May your holidays be blessed and joyful!
5 Easy Squirrel Calls
http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/5-easy-squirrel-calls-zbcz1512.aspx
animalmom
Herd Master
That was interesting! I've heard that sound before but never associated it with squirrels. Most of the time the squirrels are either chattering or scolding the dogs. I'm enjoying your articles, so please keep up the good work!
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- #97
HomesteaderWife
Herd Master
I wanted to make a brief entry here and talk about something that amazed me today. I believe this entry may have an impact on a few folks in the future who are looking into their own sawmills. I am not going to sponsor any one particular mill brand, but if you look back in my posts you will see which one we own!
But before I do, I need to give a bit of background information. My husband and I invested in a portable sawmill a few months back- I've mentioned a little about that sawmill here, but not much. He had an old classic car that he bought while serving in the Marines, and while he was overseas someone tried to steal it while it was in the shop, so for over a year after he came home, it sat in one spot and never ran. After a very long time, we finally found a buyer, and that money was then used to purchase the sawmill.
It was a PAIN to set up ourselves, and took us a long time, but it saved over $1,000 by assembling it at home instead of having them ship it already pieced together. It took a good deal of time to learn what we were doing, too. My husband and I now can work smoothly together on the mill- the two of us usually work alone unless more strength is needed, and then his younger brother steps in. We cut down our own trees, drag them with our tractor to the mill, and make our boards.
The point I want to discuss is that I am absolutely stunned by the way this is paying for itself so quickly. If you EVER consider investing in a sawmill, I want you to look at some of the numbers below. We haven't even owned it a year! It is hard work, but very rewarding.
As said, I felt really compelled to discuss this because of the fact our trip to the hardware store today really opened my eyes to the price of lumber. I am including a few photos of some of our boards, scrap wood projects, and more. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and please leave any feedback!
But before I do, I need to give a bit of background information. My husband and I invested in a portable sawmill a few months back- I've mentioned a little about that sawmill here, but not much. He had an old classic car that he bought while serving in the Marines, and while he was overseas someone tried to steal it while it was in the shop, so for over a year after he came home, it sat in one spot and never ran. After a very long time, we finally found a buyer, and that money was then used to purchase the sawmill.
It was a PAIN to set up ourselves, and took us a long time, but it saved over $1,000 by assembling it at home instead of having them ship it already pieced together. It took a good deal of time to learn what we were doing, too. My husband and I now can work smoothly together on the mill- the two of us usually work alone unless more strength is needed, and then his younger brother steps in. We cut down our own trees, drag them with our tractor to the mill, and make our boards.
The point I want to discuss is that I am absolutely stunned by the way this is paying for itself so quickly. If you EVER consider investing in a sawmill, I want you to look at some of the numbers below. We haven't even owned it a year! It is hard work, but very rewarding.
- $1,000+ lumber order for a customer
- $200 from selling SCRAPS (pieces of lumber with rough edges for $5 or the outside cuts that have rounded edges with bark for $2 a board)
- $50 + from artwork made with scrap lumber and sold at local arts and crafts festivals
- $350 in SAVINGS - We just cut up 70 boards for our cabin's flooring and started nailing them down. When we went to the hardware store to get some more nails, I looked at lumber prices and we saved about $350 by milling our own boards. This DOESN'T even count the boards that we used to frame out the floor and support it.
As said, I felt really compelled to discuss this because of the fact our trip to the hardware store today really opened my eyes to the price of lumber. I am including a few photos of some of our boards, scrap wood projects, and more. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and please leave any feedback!
I almost bought one years ago after purchasing 18 acres of raw land up in Maine. I never did, and ended up selling the land (for a nice profit... which I then blew, but that's another story). Since that time I have considered purchasing another, but won't do so until I have land with trees to use it on, and truth be told, now that I'm older and by myself, it may never happen. Perhaps you should consider doing an article for your blog?
- Thread starter
- #99
HomesteaderWife
Herd Master
@Latestarter - I wrote this week about "Repurposing Scrap Wood" which they should have posted in the next few days. But I am going to write about the benefits of having a sawmill in the future. The only reason I was hesitant to is that a representative from one particular brand/company actually wrote something like that awhile back on their website. And as I mentioned I don't want to point fingers and say one brand is better than the other!
It is good to have all the trees there you want to use. Some of our logs have been VERY heavy, to the point a vehicle could not drag them. But our old tractor is able to pull them with a bit of effort. I can say that it is seems like a two person job sometimes, especially when it comes to milling the logs up. We have our own jobs, my husband and I, when working on it:
My Jobs - watch out for my husband as he cuts trees, hook the chain up and unhook it to drag logs, use the winch to roll the log up, measure out where we will cut, get him lined up to the right place to cut, fill the water tank, and make sure the log dogs (supports to keep it on the mill) as far enough down that the blade won't hit it which I still monitor even as he is cutting
Husbands Jobs- cutting down trees, cutting them into size for the board length (always gives himself about a foot extra to square the boards later), operates the tractor when pulling logs, helps guide the log up to the mill, operates the mill and cuts logs (most of the time! I get the itch to cut occasionally), and moves boards to stack them
I don't know if this is much help, but if you're looking to mill up for small projects, try an Alaskan chainsaw mill if you haven't already. One person can do it, but I will caution that it takes a toll on the chainsaw and the chains/blades after a time. You cannot use a regular chain for it, you need a "ripping chain". BUT we have successfully used one to build dog houses with before we got the mill. For what it was worth, it did a good job!
It is good to have all the trees there you want to use. Some of our logs have been VERY heavy, to the point a vehicle could not drag them. But our old tractor is able to pull them with a bit of effort. I can say that it is seems like a two person job sometimes, especially when it comes to milling the logs up. We have our own jobs, my husband and I, when working on it:
My Jobs - watch out for my husband as he cuts trees, hook the chain up and unhook it to drag logs, use the winch to roll the log up, measure out where we will cut, get him lined up to the right place to cut, fill the water tank, and make sure the log dogs (supports to keep it on the mill) as far enough down that the blade won't hit it which I still monitor even as he is cutting
Husbands Jobs- cutting down trees, cutting them into size for the board length (always gives himself about a foot extra to square the boards later), operates the tractor when pulling logs, helps guide the log up to the mill, operates the mill and cuts logs (most of the time! I get the itch to cut occasionally), and moves boards to stack them
I don't know if this is much help, but if you're looking to mill up for small projects, try an Alaskan chainsaw mill if you haven't already. One person can do it, but I will caution that it takes a toll on the chainsaw and the chains/blades after a time. You cannot use a regular chain for it, you need a "ripping chain". BUT we have successfully used one to build dog houses with before we got the mill. For what it was worth, it did a good job!
Baymule
Herd Master
I love reading about your homesteading. Your home will truly be your home when you move in it. Every board will have a story to tell, all the love and hard work that went into building it.
