Self Sufficiency - Small Steps

[milkman636]

I also am located "a bit south" of you and enjoy reading your posts.

I tried selling some produce for the first time this year. I sold some broccoli, cucumbers, and greeen peppers. We were having a garage/barn sale trying to clear out some ours and the neighbors' stuff, and I figured why not set out a table of my more abundant produce. It was cool to have people browsing and buying vegetables that I grew. On the second say of the sale I had a lady come back from the first day and say that it was the best broccoli she ever had. Normally I give the extra to my family and neighbors for free, but I am thinking about setting up a small stand in the front yard next year and letting the kids take turns hawking whatever we have in season.

The broccoli variety was Pacman. Also, the Marketmore cucumbers got good feedback as well.

Also I am interested in trying some chickens. My granparents did comercial egg production while my dad was growing up. He hated chickens and didn't want any part of them when I was growing up, so I don't have any experience with them. With a family of nine I am seriously trying to learn some more about the subject so I can try my hand at it maybe next year. Maybe we need to get a poultry forum going on this site? Or is there a good one out there on the internet already?

 

[300UGUY]

I also am located "a bit south" of you and enjoy reading your posts.

I tried selling some produce for the first time this year. I sold some broccoli, cucumbers, and greeen peppers. We were having a garage/barn sale trying to clear out some ours and the neighbors' stuff, and I figured why not set out a table of my more abundant produce. It was cool to have people browsing and buying vegetables that I grew. On the second say of the sale I had a lady come back from the first day and say that it was the best broccoli she ever had. Normally I give the extra to my family and neighbors for free, but I am thinking about setting up a small stand in the front yard next year and letting the kids take turns hawking whatever we have in season.

The broccoli variety was Pacman. Also, the Marketmore cucumbers got good feedback as well.

Also I am interested in trying some chickens. My granparents did comercial egg production while my dad was growing up. He hated chickens and didn't want any part of them when I was growing up, so I don't have any experience with them. With a family of nine I am seriously trying to learn some more about the subject so I can try my hand at it maybe next year. Maybe we need to get a poultry forum going on this site? Or is there a good one out there on the internet already?

Problem I see with our chickens is the feed cost. I just paid $15 per bag for laying mash. I get $4 per doz eggs. I am not making money at that, and I really don't see a market much higher.

 

[KTurner]

Maybe we need to get a poultry forum going on this site? Or is there a good one out there on the internet already?

We're looking at getting some hens to go along with the garden and provide some eggs. I've tried searching for a good site but haven't found one.

Keith

 

[Ed of all trades]

That is the joy of a chicken tractor they eat enough grass and bugs to lower feed cost by I think 1/2. You have to move it everyday so they have fresh graze but it works and they eat better at the table too.

 

[tungularafishcamp]

That's why when we did chickens, we did free range(lock them up at night) we only had to feed in the winter and the few we did lose to eagles and foxes were more than offset by way less feed. Plus not only did the chickens eat much better but the eggs did too. Barred rocks seemed to have less problems than our other breeds.

 

[Rainbody]

Free range here too. There was a learning curves with the dogs but after that its great. Feed cost is low, eggs are better by my tastes, and bug population around house is way down.

 

[tungularafishcamp]

We had a great yellow lab when we did chickens and they were her birds She spent her day watching over the kids and the chickens in that order. Couple times a fox would try a snatch and grab, the chicken would start squawking, Rabble would run the fox down til it dropped the bird, she would pick up the bird and bring it home usually only a couple feathers ruffled:laughing:

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

We're looking at getting some hens to go along with the garden and provide some eggs. I've tried searching for a good site but haven't found one.

Keith

I bought my birds from poultryhollow.com and they have been healthy and laying like chickens , I have started with 8 birds and now i get 8 eggs a day also check out backyardchickens.com ....watch "factory egg farming" on you tube and you will never buy another egg or chicken from the grocery store again and these were purdue brand chickens , My Sussex chickens are almost the size of turkeys now ! and after 2 years laying into the freezer they go !

 

[Tororider]

I will second the BackYardChickens.com. Great site, great people, lots of info. They also have regional sections where you can meet people in your area and trade chickens and eggs.

If you can free range it makes a lot of sense. Even if you can't, I always added any table scraps, yard clippings, weeds, whatever to help offset feed costs. Even if you don't do that, there is something to be said for knowing where your food is coming from.

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

I will second the BackYardChickens.com. Great site, great people, lots of info. They also have regional sections where you can meet people in your area and trade chickens and eggs.

If you can free range it makes a lot of sense. Even if you can't, I always added any table scraps, yard clippings, weeds, whatever to help offset feed costs. Even if you don't do that, there is something to be said for knowing where your food is coming from.

i dropped 2 -30 gall barrels of leaves and grass clippings from the yard yesterday into the chicken coop and they had a blast scratching looking for the bugs , you will see each chicken has it's own personality and quirks !