Today I want to write about our animals friends that may or may not become our supper. We will start with the ones that won't be "whats for dinner".
1. Dog: Every hopeful homestead should have a dog, one that is big enough and mean enough to protect you and your livestock yet friendly enough not to want to eat your friends. If you find one that is multi purpose that is even better. What do I mean by multi purpose one who can herd the chickens and goats without eating them, yet if a coyote rolls through they will protect the same chickens and goats. When choosing a dog I don't think breed really matters in most cases, some are bred to do a lot of different things but if you don't train them to do those things they wont, now I am not saying run out and buy a beagle they will eat your chickens the hunting instinct is just too strong. I love a mutt one that you rescue is even better, if you get it as a puppy.
2. Cat: Why a cat? One or more cats will keep mice away and moles out of your garden. If mice eat all the food(both yours and the animals) then you have done all this work for nothing. I personally have several cats and while my neighbors complain to me about mice I have only seen a couple(knock on wood). Cats are working animals who you will have to feed to keep around if they are left outside but not too much or they will not catch the mice.
3. Rabbits: Rabbits are cute and cuddly but they have amazing poo! It is never "hot" so you can mix it into the garden without composting. They also are a source of meat, protein that is very very lean. If we have a food shortage, people will take to hunting like no tomorrow and there will not be enough to go around, so if you have your own rabbits they will produce quickly and eat everything so you will be ahead of the game.
4. Chickens with a rooster: If you don't want to buy chickens every year or two you will have to get a roo. Chickens have excellent poo for your garden they eat EVERYTHING and are easy to care for. They can be supper or can supply breakfast. I have several different kinds of chickens, Rhode Island Reds for eggs, Orpingtons for meat and eggs and Silkies because they go broody more often than other chickens. If you don't have power for an extended period of time yet still want to have chicks a Silkie will sit on all eggs from other chickens to ducks. You will need 1 rooster for every 8 to 10 hens unless you want to have a lower chance of fertile eggs.
5. Goats: A couple milk goats are on my list of things to buy. When you add up how much you spend on dairy product every week at the store they will pay for themselves sooner or later depending on how much you spend. We spend alot on cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream and butter so at least 2 nannies is something we need. If you get a mixed goat you have the chance for milk and meat. Caution always have the nanny the bigger of the mix or you could lose both the nanny and kid during birth. Also when you mix the breeds you may have less milk than you expected.
These animals are my top 5 yours may be different and that's ok, having a homestead allows you the freedom to have what you think you can care for and will serve you the best. The order I placed them in isn't the order in which I think they belong but how they came to me as I typed. After I typed all this it came to me I should have done 6, I left out an important one that is on my list too, Bees.
The time before last I said I wanted to find something I buy to make at home and since then I have come up with 3. Lip balm, lotion, and clothes detergent. I will give the recipes after I have made them and tried them out to be sure I don't tell you wrong.
The goal this time is to smile at everyone who thinks you are crazy for wanting to live a more self sufficient life one that is better for you and the Earth that we share.
MoonFlower
