Homesteading

[Renault]

Five more nice size shoats last night! Son is on his way. We have a mans work ahead of us today! These are going in the cooler!

 

[ingineer]

"and you can't hunt on a public road."

January before last I got four eating size shoats with a Ford F 150!

New Ohio Law
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2013/10/ohio_house_approves_bill_allow.html
Richard

 

[Renault]

New Ohio Law
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2013/10/ohio_house_approves_bill_allow.html
Richard

That's pretty good!!!!

We just finished butchering!!! Will share one pig with my neighbor lady! She deserves one! They did a number on her yard!!! I have a nice fat gilt for her!!!

 

[ingineer]

I hope this not too off topic, a little Maine Humor in the spirit of Burt and I
Strict Carnivore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta_OAXQqc6o
Richard

 

[Renault]

I never really considered a lot of what I do around here on the place "golden era" stuff. But simply day to day stuff. Example, I hung two old axe heads in new handles this week. Same way folks have been doing it since they had iron implements I suppose. Other that I use nice store bought hickory handles.

Most of what I have to do here is done the same way it was done back in the day. I was fortunate enough to have folks, especially the older folks, who were willing to teach me how to do many of these chores.

And again it was stuff you were expected to learn to get a task done. Lots of that "I'm gonna show you one time" type stuff. Depended on the relative or friend you were working with. Some were more understanding and better teachers than others!

 

[Renault]

Was over to the son and daughter in laws today. She had this batch of white grape wine working in the back of her kitchen. I refer to it as Mrs. N's original Pop-skull!

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

I was fortunate enough to have folks, especially the older folks, who were willing to teach me how to do many of these chores.

And again it was stuff you were expected to learn to get a task done. Lots of that "I'm gonna show you one time" type stuff. Depended on the relative or friend you were working with. Some were more understanding and better teachers than others!

I hope you have passed those skills and lessons on young man! My biggest regret is not learning wood turning from my grandfather and taking his lathe of him when he felt too old to use it and so he sold it. I was a young man more interested in going out at the time. As I said a big regret, we only have a small opportunity to learn some skills and I try to learn at least a new skill each week, easier said than done. My plan this year was to learn to scythe a meadow with a traditional scythe but work has got in the way this year but I will next summer.

 

[Renault]

Always willing to pass on what meagre knowledge I may have that would be of interest to someone.

I'm also a firm believer in the story telling tradition. Any story. Especially those of your family. Something we are losing with each generation that passes. I'm glad that I can pass on stories to my grandkids of their great grandparents and great great grandparents!!!

To paraphrase the Bard from Avon. "They are the councillors that freeingly persuade us what we are!" They are "us"!! Take the time to share a story with a loved one. Especially the young folks. One day they will thank you for it!

 

[Stray Cat]

"They are the councillors that freeingly persuade us what we are!"

Good quote. :thumb:

 

[EliasRDA]

About them guinea hens, make sure you get their beaks bobbed or burned (different places use different terms) so that they don't draw blood when they scrabble with one another. Once they get a taste of blood they wont stop going after one another. I speak from experience, we had 24 to start, had mix between males & females since the place we got them from didn't sex them. We did keep them loose but didn't realize the place didn't bob their beaks or trim their wings & no one in our area knew how to wing trim as they grew older.
Those suckers are strong & would roost in our trees, Mom ended up catching them when she would feed them. She'd feed & I'd grab em & huck em in the coop. My folks would eat the eggs & she sold a few to people who ate the meat, some days we miss having them but for us the taking care of them was becoming too much.

I hated messing with them & they pretty much disliked me. But I hated the fricking black snakes more, specially the 6+' ones we get. They would get into the coop & get fat by eating the eggs then couldn't get back out, so I'm trying to shot them with a 22 target rifle, and not shoot the birds or my folks before the snakes would slither past me & back into the woods.
Sorry, I hate snakes with a passion & whenever I see one I will kill it by any means possible. Only good snake is snakeskin boots.

 

[Colonel]

We're on one acre on a dirt road in Florida, which makes it a pretty good size without being too much work. The mix changes from time to time, but right now we've got 7 ducks (plus however many of the eggs one is setting on hatch) and about a dozen chickens. The ducks are Anconas and the chickens are Buff Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds. My favorite is the ducks - they're more fun to watch and a lot more "polite" than chickens. The chickens stay in the coop (they do too much damage to the garden), while the ducks have the run of the acre (it is completely fenced with chain-link). We used to have geese, but decided that life would be better if they had a different home. As soon as we build up the flock of ducks, that will probably be the end of chickens for us - much rather have ducks.

In the garden right now are Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Lettuce, and Cabbage. Other parts of the garden have pineapples, bananas, sweet potatoes, blackberries, and various herbs. In pots waiting to be planted are two pear trees and one avocado tree. We also have 16 fig trees (Brown Turkey vareity), a Tangelo, and several lemon trees.