Saving money by not raising critters

[shooterdon]

Did it again this weekend. Saved a bunch of $$$ with no effort.

Bought 30 Smithfield pork lions. These are 23 oz packs that sell for over $7 each at Walmart. Got them at the bargain grocery store for $1.99 ea. Plus used our “discount card”. We bought $1200 of discount cards for $1000 this summer. Comes out to about $1.10/ lb.

Put one on the barbecue last night and yum yum. The last pig my buddy raised came to $4/lb. Of course his meat is organic, and mine is full of poisons.

They have beef strip loin for $3.99/lb this week. Might only be able to fit 10-15 lbs in the freezer.

Love our Freddie’s Market in Atlanta MI.

 

[MossRoad]

...., and mine is full of poisons....

Delicious, juicy poisons.

We pick up pork loins and tenderloins on sale, too. But not at that good of a price.

 

[Eagle1]

yeah but I get to enjoy watching my meals grow up and live. Not any cheaper by any means but I know how they lived and died. Also have full control how the meat was butchered and treated every step of the way.

 

[shooterdon]

yeah but I get to enjoy watching my meals grow up and live. Not any cheaper by any means but I know how they lived and died. Also have full control how the meat was butchered and treated every step of the way.

Been there, done that, and not going back.

It is so much fun to get/grow critter food and feed them. And what goes in must come out. Talk about ****ty work. Killing them adds more fun but it does not end there. Gutting, skinning and butchering awaits.

Last piglets a few years back cost $75 each. Got two and one died just before it was time to “harvest” them. Bummer.

We already had about 40 lbs of pork chops, loins and butt, so adding another 45 lbs was enough. That should last the two of us a year. Our average cost is about $ 1.50/lb.

The previous week we bought brats at the same store for $2 per pack and chicken leg quarters go for $6 for a 10 lb bag.

Not for everyone, but works for us.

 

[Eagle1]

Been there done that but prefer the ****ty work.
Of course I don't buy stock to raise, just have them born/hatch on site.
I don't disagree with you but we prefer this way.
A big steer is a lot work but so are multiple deer. We normally sell enough stock to recover feed costs and all processing is done by us.
What ever works for you is cool but we all have a way we want to live.

 

[shooterdon]

Agree Eagle1

Age factors in for some. I am 72 and working hard is good exercise but I don’t want to do as much as I did 20 years ago. So I do things that save me a few $$$$ or I enjoy doing around the homestead.

Raising critters did not make the cut for me as I never really got into it. Same with the garden.

Getting that way about hunting too and I love to shoot. But I get about 35 lbs of meat off a deer and wonder if it is worth it. Plus I am getting soft. I would rather watch them than murder them. And yes, for me it is murder. I used to shoot competitively and a deer is a huge target. I think I have killed enough of God’s creations.

 

[Eagle1]

All good , I respect other opinions just fine.
I found I hate shooting targets but love to hunt. I get a lot more meat than most from any animal, we process them way down and trimmings become dog food. I have 6 and most are well over 100# with the biggest well over 150. Gives them food that is way better than kibbles all the time. I treat the deer like my cattle not abusing the resource and growing the herd.
Still love to squirrel hunt with a 22, keeps me in aim small and quick frame of mind.
What the dogs won't eat goes to compost and chickens. We have clay and rock so to grow anything we make our own soil.
I don't hunt for trophies and won't waste an animal (or any other resource) if possible, even the vermin can feed something on the homestead. I really believe in fair chase, no stands or blinds, no cameras, no camo, no bait or scents, mostly hunt with arrows. Spend more time watching and learning than even trying to kill anything,
I'm no spring chicken and want to live this way as long as possible, maybe I'll drop in the woods one day and go back to nature myself.

To me it feels better than farming out my murders to some meat processing plant........ Again just my take on corporate farming.

I do not think there is a "right" answer for everyone, just what works for each of us.

 

[Jstpssng]

I really believe in fair chase, no stands or blinds, no cameras, no camo, no bait or scents, mostly hunt with arrows.

I never got into bow hunting although I've always wanted to. One thing that I am starting to consider is some type of no-lead bullets for hunting... apparently they really do cause collateral damage for birds feeding on the gut piles in the woods.

 

[Eagle1]

I've never left a gut pile, goes from deer right into a tractor bucket and then into the compost. I tend to shoot heart/lung but not shoulder to avoid spoiling meat. I did spine my last buck with my bow, misjudged distance. Completely paralyzed and I had to finish the job. But I can't remember having a bullet left in the animals other than steers that are brain shot with pistol caliber. I have seen a few fragments if you hit heavy bone. Still no reason to not switch if you sight your weapon for the distance you will shoot with none lead ammo. I live in lead county and the only place in the USA where batteries are recycled, plenty of lead background levels around here. They are still cleaning up contamination all over the region. But the eagles, vultures and all other birds of prey are thriving here.

Using a crossbow the bolts always goes 50+ yards after exiting the deer, the new compound bows are just as fast, 400 to 450 ft/sec.
My old long bow will not do that, so the arrows are easier to find but often destroyed.
If I do gun hunt it's 30-30 or 35 Rem, and still mostly less than 50 yards these days.

 

[Jstpssng]

I've never left a gut pile, goes from deer right into a tractor bucket and then into the compost. I tend to shoot heart/lung but not shoulder to avoid spoiling meat. I did spine my last buck with my bow, misjudged distance. Completely paralyzed and I had to finish the job. But I can't remember having a bullet left in the animals other than steers that are brain shot with pistol caliber. I have seen a few fragments if you hit heavy bone. Still no reason to not switch if you sight your weapon for the distance you will shoot with none lead ammo. I live in lead county and the only place in the USA where batteries are recycled, plenty of lead background levels around here. They are still cleaning up contamination all over the region. But the eagles, vultures and all other birds of prey are thriving here.

Using a crossbow the bolts always goes 50+ yards after exiting the deer, the new compound bows are just as fast, 400 to 450 ft/sec.
My old long bow will not do that, so the arrows are easier to find but often destroyed.
If I do gun hunt it's 30-30 or 35 Rem, and still mostly less than 50 yards these days.

I understand what you're saying but that doesn't work for everybody.
I've shot a lot of birds (grouse) in fall and leave the remains in the woods. Usually it's with a .22, but sometimes with #6.
Also, if I shoot a woodchuck I leave it for the ravens and fox.
I've dragged deer as far as a 1/2 mile out of the woods in the past, so have no plans of going back to get the gut pile.

Supposedly even a clean shot will leave enough lead residue on the way through an animal to kill an eagle.

 

[sea2summit]

Supposedly even a clean shot will leave enough lead residue on the way through an animal to kill an eagle.

I'm going to call boloney on that, sounds like something known by cancer to cause California. I've spent most of my life in Alaska and never heard of an eagle dying of lead poisonings. Now I do know a lot of waterfowl were going down to phosphorus from an artillery range shooting into a wetland.

I also harvest pretty much everything. When I butcher chickens all the leftovers go in with the pigs. Large chunks of hide and bone go to compost but a lot of other material goes to the pigs. Small critters/parts usually go to the outside dogs. Can't afford to waste much with how much it costs to grow or how hard it's getting to harvest.

 

[Eagle1]

I understand what you're saying but that doesn't work for everybody.
I've shot a lot of birds (grouse) in fall and leave the remains in the woods. Usually it's with a .22, but sometimes with #6.
Also, if I shoot a woodchuck I leave it for the ravens and fox.
I've dragged deer as far as a 1/2 mile out of the woods in the past, so have no plans of going back to get the gut pile.

Supposedly even a clean shot will leave enough lead residue on the way through an animal to kill an eagle.

I gave up field dressing and dragging deer. Just haul the entire deer back to the barn with quad or a tractor and deal with it where you have a place to hang and water to rinse. Makes for much cleaner meat and beats crawling on the ground.
Same applies to steers, drop them in the pasture then haul to the barn on a tractor or a trailer and hang them to be skinned and gutted.
I can way more than a mile out in the woods and no way I'm dragging a #250 buck by hand that far again.

If I shot a woodchuck it would feed dogs, as do beaver and muskrat, etc

BTW we have Bald Eagles nesting and feeding from the Lead mine tailing ponds and have for many years as do many other bird species. Lead fishing weights and lures are way more likely to be eaten and cause problem. Fishing line discarded by careless fishermen kill lots of critters every year, I get to catch and then remove it from ducks/geese all year long in my little lake.

 

[MossRoad]

I'm going to call boloney on that, sounds like something known by cancer to cause California. I've spent most of my life in Alaska and never heard of an eagle dying of lead poisonings. Now I do know a lot of waterfowl were going down to phosphorus from an artillery range shooting into a wetland.

I also harvest pretty much everything. When I butcher chickens all the leftovers go in with the pigs. Large chunks of hide and bone go to compost but a lot of other material goes to the pigs. Small critters/parts usually go to the outside dogs. Can't afford to waste much with how much it costs to grow or how hard it's getting to harvest.

Some interesting reading.

Groundbreaking Study Finds Widespread Lead Poisoning in Bald and Golden Eagles

A first-of-its-kind, eight-year study has found widespread and frequent lead poisoning in North American bald and golden eagles impacting both species’ populations.

www.usgs.gov

 

[sea2summit]

Some interesting reading.

Groundbreaking Study Finds Widespread Lead Poisoning in Bald and Golden Eagles

A first-of-its-kind, eight-year study has found widespread and frequent lead poisoning in North American bald and golden eagles impacting both species’ populations.

www.usgs.gov

Primary source for Golden eagles is birdshot from ground squirrels? Not sure how that conclusion came about. Either way, the study talks about "modeled" reproduction impacts from lead poisoning but I'm not seeing anything about one carcass shot one time poisoning an eagle.
This study references not limiting testing to lead, common in bullets, but included other heavy metals like mercury but no mention of those levels or impacts? Odd, especially considering my wife had to be tested for mercury levels for three of our children when she was pregnant because of where we lived and how much of our diet came from the ocean at the time.
Also interesting to me that the pacific flyway had less than half what the central flyway does. That makes me curious.

 

[scaredychicken]

We raise a lot of chickens, a few rabbits, dogs, and sell eggs etc. The income is negative to meager, compared to the expenses and efforts.

For us it is the country lifestyle that wins.

Of course the fact that there are Tax Credits / financial benefits (beyond income), means that I claim the assets - tractor, trailer, truck, building, as well as feed and general expenses. It pays off in what you can claim / write off, not so much the hobby income.

The tractor, equipment also add value to the property, without the need to rent equipment or hire help. I can do so much more to improve the landscape etc, adding value overall.

Eventually, I will lighten the efforts but that is probably a 10 yr plan.

 

[Eagle1]

Studies are set up to prove a point. Now I would bet that lead from fishing equipment is way more prevalent than from hunting. If from hunting, bird shot is more prevalent in carcasses than rifle fragments. Few folk use cast lead projectiles these days. Lead as mercury in the aquatic food chain can travel up the chain. I don't expect the same from big game hunting, where the rule is pretty much one shot (One projectile) per kill. Unless you like messed up meat you don't gut shoot anything, anyone that hunts for food would rather pass the shot than gut shoot. It's a mess.
Now the morons that only take the back strap and/or horns leaving the rest to rot should be jailed in my opinion. Stuff happens but I have fed a lot dogs recovering deer in the woods left to rot with only a missing back strap. Or the ones gut shot that traveled miles to die in one my creeks. I recover one or 2 every fall that are only good for the dogs since I do not know when they were shot.

 

[Eagle1]

BTW I did not intend to imply I've not been guilty of bad shots, and mostly likely will again. However I try to avoid them at all cost and pass on way more shots that I take, with bow or firearms.

 

[shooterdon]

We raise a lot of chickens, a few rabbits, dogs, and sell eggs etc. The income is negative to meager, compared to the expenses and efforts.

For us it is the country lifestyle that wins.

Of course the fact that there are Tax Credits / financial benefits (beyond income), means that I claim the assets - tractor, trailer, truck, building, as well as feed and general expenses. It pays off in what you can claim / write off, not so much the hobby income.

The tractor, equipment also add value to the property, without the need to rent equipment or hire help. I can do so much more to improve the landscape etc, adding value overall.

Eventually, I will lighten the efforts but that is probably a 10 yr plan.

You made my point. It does not pay to raise critters for most people. To have tax credits, you need to have income...well at least in the US...I see you are in Canada. It becomes a business.

I understand the "life style" rationalization. That is great if it is what someone wants to do, but there is a price to do it. And I understand the self-sufficiency aspect as well. But economics and the work involved do not change.

My friend raises meat chickens for personal use. He spends far more per pound than I do. He and his wife are poor, and barely make ends meet, but they do it anyway. It is a lifestyle. Guess what their "special treat" is? Getting a bucket of KFC!!! Hard to believe but true.

 

[Eagle1]

It is a life choice, not for everyone. I had a long career in specialty IT, paid very well indeed. Had nice house and big yard just outside the burbs, new cars and toys. Now I don't make much but am so much happier and satisfied than when I had money. I just rather shovel chicken crap than set another foot in an office building, well actually any town setting. Walking with dogs, hanging out with cattle, etc is good for my mental, physical and spiritual health. There are days when it gets to you down and then the cows go walk about, but for me there is no going back. I think it was the first tractor in the burbs that changed my life.

Most people waste money they don't have on hobbies, well my hobby is my homestead. Currently still partly a campground for income, for a couple more years. Our families and friends were sure we could not make it in the middle of nothing and at times we were close to quitting the dream. 15 years later we are grateful that we stuck it out and stayed in our slice of heaven.

Big treat for us is fast food burger, at least an hour drive to get one....

 

[NoTrespassing]

Some interesting reading.

Groundbreaking Study Finds Widespread Lead Poisoning in Bald and Golden Eagles

A first-of-its-kind, eight-year study has found widespread and frequent lead poisoning in North American bald and golden eagles impacting both species’ populations.

www.usgs.gov

That is interesting reading from United States Geological Survey. They claim the increase in population of bald eagles is slowing.

About 1 month later this was released by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The headline is: America’s Bald Eagle Population Continues to Soar

According to scientists from the Service’s Migratory Bird Program, the bald eagle population climbed to an estimated 316,700 individual bald eagles in the lower 48 states. This indicates the bald eagle population has continued to increase rapidly since our previous survey.

America’s Bald Eagle Population Continues to Soar | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Populations of the American bald eagle — the bold national symbol of the United States — have quadrupled since 2009, according to a new report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners. Bald eagles once teetered on the brink of extinction, reaching an all-time low of 417 known...

fws.gov

I found it interesting since one was sitting next to a road I travel daily last week. They are becoming very common here in east central Illinois I'm waiting for one to land on my chicken coup any day LOL

It's hard to believe that two government agencies would disagree to such an extent.