Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Homesteading Changes and Challenges


Here are our house bunnies.  We traded in our sheep and chickens for house bunnies.  The main thing that made our decision was that when we were really sick in November it was just so hard to take care of the outside animals when everyone feels so bad.  Plus, the fact that we can't grow grass in the yards for them for 7 months of the year.  So, for now we have house bunnies and they make quite a bit of compost so that is a major plus.  We are thinking about making a more permanent structure in the garage and getting a pair of ducks and rabbits (silver fox breed for meat bunnies), plus two hens (most likely buff orpington's).  Then during the growing season we can put them all in tractors and move them around the yard.  We're also thinking about just getting a couple of wethered sheep to harvest at the end of the season.  We are really enjoying the lamb and mutton from last year.  So good.  Then possibly the following year trying a couple feeder pigs.  So that is our plan for now.  So far so good.  And when the kids are bigger we can do more, but right now, just what Dave and I can do reasonably.  :)
 
 
We are still growing fodder.  This is for the rabbits and they love it, just smaller scale than the sheep.  We will make it a little bigger when we have ducks, rabbits and chickens in the winter.