Author Topic: Farming fats  (Read 5826 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline ciervo-chaman

  • Buffalo Hunter
  • ***
  • Posts: 130
    • View Profile
Farming fats
« on: May 29, 2016, 03:07:19 am »
Hi! I have moved from the city to an underpopulated village , to an old inhabited house with 800m2 of land to spend on agriculture,farming, etc.

I already started to grow some veggies. Chickens are in the road.

Also a pregnant sheep will come in a matter of days

Tips? How to farm really good eggs? Another fat i can grow in a small space? I'm new to this and need advice!

Offline eveheart

  • Mammoth Hunter
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,315
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
Re: Farming fats
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2016, 05:08:13 am »
I had an urban garden about that size. I was able to grow all our fruits in the "orchard" on 10 semi-dwarf trees (regular fruit trees grafted onto dwarfing root stock). I had raised beds for intensive planting of vegetables. You can enclosed a raised bed in a mini-greenhouse that sets on top of the bed to extend your growing season, if necessary. Since the lot is a bit small, grow a lot vertically with trellises everywhere. Sprawling crops can all be grown upward, tied to a trellis for support. I've seen people with pumpkin gardens on the roof of their house - uses the space and cools the house in summer. Also, the south-facing exterior wall of the house can be trellised so that you can grow warmth-loving vines -  the  wall acts like a heat sink as it warms up all day long; then, the heat radiates off the wall after sunset, keeping the plants warm at night.

This kind of garden is a very relaxing location, so include little sitting areas. Keeping "curves" in your pathway design to make the garden more natural looking. Install irrigation pipes underground, if that's how you plan to water.

You can also build portable hen houses that sit on top of the beds that you are fallowing. I never had livestock due to zoning regulations, but if I could, I would have put goats/sheep in the front yard and ducks in a pond in the back corner.

Read books or online about "urban farming" to get ideas that will maximize the use of your space. Also, get to know other gardeners in your area. Gardeners are good friends, plus you can trade tips, surplus food, and favorite seeds.
"I intend to live forever; so far, so good." -Steven Wright, comedian

Offline TylerDurden

  • Global Moderator
  • Mammoth Hunter
  • *****
  • Posts: 17,016
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Raw Paleolithic Diet
Re: Farming fats
« Reply #2 on: May 31, 2016, 03:25:57 am »
Well, some RPF members have been raising chickens and have claimed that the more carnivorous  a chicken's diet is, the better. In other words, mostly  "worms, insects, carrion" like jungle fowl normally eat in the wild, not the 100% grain-filled diets that modern farmers now espouse.

You might consider a herb garden for your sheep to graze on, not just grass?....
"During the last campaign I knew what was happening. You know, they mocked me for my foreign policy and they laughed at my monetary policy. No more. No more.
" Ron Paul.

Offline ciervo-chaman

  • Buffalo Hunter
  • ***
  • Posts: 130
    • View Profile
Re: Farming fats
« Reply #3 on: May 31, 2016, 09:59:07 am »
Very nice ideas eve!

You made me remember a lot of things! And that idea of the ducks caught me up! I already searched for some. (after reading your answer)

Tyler do you think adding just oily raw seeds in small amounts would be worse than letting them roam free?

Offline TylerDurden

  • Global Moderator
  • Mammoth Hunter
  • *****
  • Posts: 17,016
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Raw Paleolithic Diet
Re: Farming fats
« Reply #4 on: May 31, 2016, 10:31:37 am »
Not sure.. you would have to ask an expert like SB or RF or Iguana....
"During the last campaign I knew what was happening. You know, they mocked me for my foreign policy and they laughed at my monetary policy. No more. No more.
" Ron Paul.

Offline eveheart

  • Mammoth Hunter
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,315
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
Re: Farming fats
« Reply #5 on: May 31, 2016, 10:50:20 am »
Tyler do you think adding just oily raw seeds in small amounts would be worse than letting them roam free?

Google info about feeding chickens fly maggots, where you breed maggots in suspended buckets that contain some rotting meat, and the maggots drop to the ground when they get plump. Free food for your chickens.
"I intend to live forever; so far, so good." -Steven Wright, comedian

Offline ciervo-chaman

  • Buffalo Hunter
  • ***
  • Posts: 130
    • View Profile
Re: Farming fats
« Reply #6 on: May 31, 2016, 09:36:54 pm »
You genius eve!! Never tought about that! Definitely doing it with all the leftovers!!

 I will wait for the others experts on farming of the forums show up and tell more tips!

Offline TylerDurden

  • Global Moderator
  • Mammoth Hunter
  • *****
  • Posts: 17,016
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Raw Paleolithic Diet
Re: Farming fats
« Reply #7 on: May 31, 2016, 11:27:24 pm »
If you are in a cold or temperate climate, you might consider an underground greenhouse, apparently buildable for 300 us dollars:-

http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/build-underground-greenhouse-garden-year-round.html

Another idea I just read about :- buy some rabbits , build them a small hut, but leavea little  space between each plank on the floor of the hut, and leave some space underneath the hut. Some of the rabbit poo will inevitably drop through the spaces, and the chickens will happily eat the stuff. To them, it is just predigested grass etc. Rabbits need to have all their  food go twice through their digestive system in order to get enough daily nutrients.

2) Make a worm-farm in order to improve the soil tenfold for your plants and also  improve your chickens' diet thereby :-

http://modernfarmer.com/2013/05/how-to-build-a-worm-farm/

3) Introduce a wasp starter-colony(queen wasp plus a few other wasps(drones?).The wasps will help wipe out any garden pests which would otherwise destroy your cultivated plants. Better than using artificial fertilisers which ruin the soil and harm worms etc.

Another idea:- buy a cow and 4 pigs. Milk the cow every day and get c.4 litres of raw milk a day, and you feed each pig 1 litre of the raw  cow's milk each day. The excrement produced by the cows and pigs will end up infested with worms and flies and those will be eaten by the chickens. I am sure there are endless other ways but I am currently having problems finding further info on this sort of thing.*er, scratch that, a cow presumably needs a lot more land....
"During the last campaign I knew what was happening. You know, they mocked me for my foreign policy and they laughed at my monetary policy. No more. No more.
" Ron Paul.

Offline fanbrits

  • Forager
  • *
  • Posts: 12
    • View Profile
Re: Farming fats
« Reply #8 on: June 17, 2016, 08:14:56 pm »
my garden is almost as big, i live outside the city tho

Offline ciervo-chaman

  • Buffalo Hunter
  • ***
  • Posts: 130
    • View Profile
Re: Farming fats
« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2016, 05:34:56 am »
So far now, i have been able to get 2 ducks (male and female) 10 little chickens (1 day of age) a pregnant sheep and pregnant sow.

Have been reading on chicken feeds to increase omega 3 content of eggs. They say i have to give flaxseed and sunflower seed. I was thinking corn plus that two seeds would be enough (they will.be roaming free) and also will give meat and fat leftovers from time to time .

I'm a little bit confused about ducks feeding. Any advice?? How to feed them healthy and abundant?

Also i'm puzzled about pigs feed. As long as it is all raw.. What kind of foods/proportions must i give them?

Finally it is like 70x70 mts. All for animals.

I still could not get my hands pn a couple of goose.. I think that will be the last animals i will be raising.

Offered me some rabbits. But i think they are too lean and will not add to my diet.

I'm reading all your suggestions and appreciate a lot! Thanks so much!!

Offline ciervo-chaman

  • Buffalo Hunter
  • ***
  • Posts: 130
    • View Profile
Re: Farming fats
« Reply #10 on: June 29, 2016, 06:31:30 pm »
Hi!
So.. I have been feeding whole raw bones to pregnant sow

I think she is swallowing them whole

Must i be careful on that?

Thanks!

Offline eveheart

  • Mammoth Hunter
  • ******
  • Posts: 2,315
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
Re: Farming fats
« Reply #11 on: June 30, 2016, 01:09:10 am »
Hi!
So.. I have been feeding whole raw bones to pregnant sow

I think she is swallowing them whole

Must i be careful on that?

Thanks!

I read about a study that might be relevant here: subjects swallowed small rodents whole, bones and all. What came out in the poop was all digested, no bone fragments.

Assuming that we're we talking about small-ish bones that can be swallowed, and considering that pigs and human digestive tracts have similar components, I don't see why the pig couldn't handle the bones. You could do an experiment and swallow one yourself to see what happens....
"I intend to live forever; so far, so good." -Steven Wright, comedian

Offline ciervo-chaman

  • Buffalo Hunter
  • ***
  • Posts: 130
    • View Profile
Re: Farming fats
« Reply #12 on: June 30, 2016, 08:13:08 am »
Haha.. I think i will continue feeding that to her.

Really interesting that study you mention.

Cat yesterday hunted a rat. She was full and didnt ate. It Smell really good but didn't had the guts to eat.. I think i was full too :P

Any advice on feeding ducks and goose? I'm giving all animals (sheep pig chickens ducks and goose) same food. Corn.. Wheat.. Sorghum.. Sunflower.. And will get some dry hay these days. Also giving meat and fats to all except sheep.

 

SMF spam blocked by CleanTalk