Homesteading and Hobby Farm/Ranch

BrutulTM · Sep 6, 2023

lurkingdirk said:
What do you guys think? Worth it to have a "farm hand" to help with animals and food production?

I think a full time guy would be getting a bit carried away but nothing wrong with hiring your retired neighbor to do stuff around the yard. We've also had good luck hiring high school kids in the summertime for a week or two at a time. Contrary to popular belief, there are kids who would prefer to have a job that's outdoors and around animals even if it does pay less than making coffee or flipping burgers. Some kids are also interested in a short term job that can work around their family vacations and other summer activities that would make it hard to hold down a "real" job. Since we're out in the sticks we also have them stay here so they get the added benefit of getting away from their parents for a while. With one in particular I think that's the #1 reason he wanted to work here and came back for several years.

Blazin · Sep 6, 2023

lurkingdirk said:
Access! It's important to be able to get to your land. I actually justified (rightly) my road into the property with that answer. I needed access so I could harvest firewood, could dig the pond, and so forth. I have enough land that I can self sustain firewood provided I keep planting while I'm harvesting. I don't want to be getting to the wood through muddy forest so I get stuck.

What do you do with your stumps when you clear a road? After the road and the pond I stacked mine in a pile with a rented digger, and let them sit for several years. Rain had washed off all the dirt, and the summers had dried the wood sufficiently that when I finally got them burning the fire smoldered for about 3 weeks and the stumps were pretty much reduced to ashes. When I'm planting new trees I still get some of the ash (I've mixed it into compost) and drop it around the new saplings.

We do burns all the time. Right now it's too dry. I usually start a burn early in the AM on a day I know it's going to rain once it gets going rain makes no difference but I can leave it without worrying about it. Last one we did, had stumps burning days later still glowing inside. We have some monstrous piles again for whenever this dry spell breaks.

Part of new Road, connecting upper fields with lower field

2 days after fire:

I have a grapple on tractor I use to just pull brush out into burn area in field

I continue to try to make sure all the groundhogs on the property receive their 22lr vaccine injection.

Sludig · Sep 6, 2023

Locnar said:
That fence looks like shit, did you not brace it and get it properly stretched?

It's not part of the main fence, used to be tighter but their constant pushing and twisting on it has loosened it up. Was just a little divider between one pen and another. Was on my miles long list to go back and fix. But moved to this property with no infrastructure in place so been doing it all solo while working full time. Was originally put up by a fence company we had so a few things to get us started.

Sludig · Sep 6, 2023

BrutulTM said:
RIP.

Breeding father to daughter is not recommended although it certainly happens. It will probably be fine but I would consider it a "terminal cross" meaning that the offspring don't get to produce offspring. At the very least don't sell them as breeding stock to someone else. Worst case scenario you could get kids with birth defects and have to put them down but that's pretty unlikely if your goats aren't inbred already.

Has anyone eaten a goat? Goats are getting much more popular and I'm told the demand is from various ethnic and religious communities that have a tradition of serving goats for holidays. I've only had it as Indian food where it was swimming in sauce or one time I had a couple of frenched goat rib chops that were basically like meat lollipops. I'm kind of curious what it would be like to roast a whole goat in my smoker now. They're supposedly very popular but are a real pain in the ass to raise at scale because they don't stay in fences and the kids are so small that they are vulnerable to all sorts of predators and not just larger ones.

I want to but I'm a terrible cook and right now every single one is precious to the wife so she wouldn't react well to me eating one. Though I wish we'd caught the dead baby soon enough I'd have considered trying to butcher.

Sludig · Sep 6, 2023

Blazin said:
We do burns all the time. Right now it's too dry. I usually start a burn early in the AM on a day I know it's going to rain once it gets going rain makes no difference but I can leave it without worrying about it. Last one we did, had stumps burning days later still glowing inside. We have some monstrous piles again for whenever this dry spell breaks.

Part of new Road, connecting upper fields with lower field
View attachment 489610

2 days after fire:
View attachment 489611

I have a grapple on tractor I use to just pull brush out into burn area in field
View attachment 489612 View attachment 489613

I continue to try to make sure all the groundhogs on the property receive their 22lr vaccine injection.
View attachment 489614 View attachment 489615 View attachment 489616

murder

Blazin · Sep 6, 2023

Sludig said:
murder

Vaccination saves lives!

Burren · Sep 6, 2023

Goats are only cute to people who have never owned them or had to deal with their bullshit. Worst fucking farm animal.

Blazin · Sep 6, 2023

Burren said:
Goats are only cute to people who have never owned them or had to deal with their bullshit. Worst fucking farm animal.

Yeah we started with, "aren't they cute!" and now when someone mentions them it's "What? Those fuckers..."

Sanrith Descartes · Sep 6, 2023

Burren said:
Goats are only cute to people who have never owned them or had to deal with their bullshit. Worst fucking farm animal.

Burns · Sep 6, 2023

Blazin said:
I have a knack for a week just going off the rails into an entire new project I wasn't even thinking about. Buddy does excavating and spoke to him on Monday said he had a gap in schedule now we are here with the mini X cutting a whole new road through a woods area, now I'm sitting here thinking about stoning it etc and reading your posts just hits home how fast scope can expand.

Have you looked into recycled asphalt? It seems to be getting popular around here.

Depending on where you get it, and what quality you want, it's supposed to be a longer lasting surface than rock, that can get close to or maybe even beat it in price, if the local transportation department is needing to get rid of it (or you know someone with DoT pull). There is higher quality options too, that doesn't have all the extra little debris that highway road surface has included, but of course it costs more.

Blazin · Sep 6, 2023

Burns said:
Have you looked into recycled asphalt? It seems to be getting popular around here.

Depending on where you get it, and what quality you want, it's supposed to be a longer lasting surface than rock, that can get close to or maybe even beat it in price, if the local transportation department is needing to get rid of it (or you know someone with DoT pull). There is higher quality options too, that doesn't have all the extra little debris that highway road surface has included, but of course it costs more.

Farmer next to me uses it for his equipment yard but not crazy of the look of it. I see people using it more as the cost of stone has gone up quite a bit in this area. think I'm going to just seed this road and keep it mowed rather than give the water too much of a pathway.

lurkingdirk · Sep 6, 2023

I have never had trouble with my goats. They're pretty happy. And I always have one on the go that we're going to eat. Right now I have two on the go because this fall I'm hosting a party for which I'm cooking a whole goat underground. Yes, you read that right. I was at a party this spring where someone did this, and I've never had meat more tender and full of flavour. Done similarly to this:

But we eat goat on the regular. And my kids have all helped me slaughter at least one goat. I wanted them to know from where their food comes. Goat is great smoked, bbqed, pan fried, or done like you said, Indian style. Goat curry. yum.

chthonic-anemos · Sep 17, 2023

Sludig · Sep 25, 2023

might not do backup generator. 5k engine figured 5k install. Nope 16k quoted to do the work. Kohler 20kwh.

Need to look into a transfer switch that's easy to hook a big portable into or something and do it manually though half the goal was to run off our propane tank.

Maybe have to refocus on getting a effective wood fireplace insert for our chimney.

BrutulTM · Sep 25, 2023

You can get portable generators that run off propane too.

Generac GP 7500 W 120 V Gas/LP Portable Portable Generator 7500 W Mfr# 8011 - Ace Hardware

Ideal for use at outdoor events, the next DIY project or emergency backup power in the case of an outage, the Generac GP7500E Dual Fuel provides power and versatility when and where you need it. Featuring Dual Fuel functionality, the GP7500E DF is capable of running on either gasoline or an LP...

www.acehardware.com

I have threatened to plumb my BBQ grill into my big propane tank with quick connects so in the case of a power outage I could just drag the generator out to the grill and hook it up to power the house.

Sludig · Sep 25, 2023

BrutulTM said:
You can get portable generators that run off propane too.

Generac GP 7500 W 120 V Gas/LP Portable Portable Generator 7500 W Mfr# 8011 - Ace Hardware

Ideal for use at outdoor events, the next DIY project or emergency backup power in the case of an outage, the Generac GP7500E Dual Fuel provides power and versatility when and where you need it. Featuring Dual Fuel functionality, the GP7500E DF is capable of running on either gasoline or an LP...

www.acehardware.com

I have threatened to plumb my BBQ grill into my big propane tank with quick connects so in the case of a power outage I could just drag the generator out to the grill and hook it up to power the house.

My question would be, is it some kind of quick easy hook up point I can get plumbed, because I dont think I"d want to leave the generator sitting around. Not sure if it's a basic plug to then hook into a transfer switch, and then I'd be worried about whether it works such that it's not going to fuck up my tv's etc. (I'd turn everything off, but some things like to auto on if not shut down and suddenly get power back)

I hate electricity, so I also dont know how to compare the watts of portable gen's with the permanant ones being in KWH. They were trying to say 20k would be about maxed out on my space etc though I think that's not being fair to how much I wouldn't be using as I intended it for not freezing than trying to run comforts.

lurkingdirk · Sep 25, 2023

Sludig said:
My question would be, is it some kind of quick easy hook up point I can get plumbed, because I dont think I"d want to leave the generator sitting around. Not sure if it's a basic plug to then hook into a transfer switch, and then I'd be worried about whether it works such that it's not going to fuck up my tv's etc. (I'd turn everything off, but some things like to auto on if not shut down and suddenly get power back)

I hate electricity, so I also dont know how to compare the watts of portable gen's with the permanant ones being in KWH. They were trying to say 20k would be about maxed out on my space etc though I think that's not being fair to how much I wouldn't be using as I intended it for not freezing than trying to run comforts.

Yeah, just get someone to put the transfer plug in, and you'll be able to roll a portable generator right out to that spot and plug it in. If you're not using it, you can store it wherever.

Goatface · Sep 25, 2023

Sludig said:
My question would be, is it some kind of quick easy hook up point I can get plumbed, because I dont think I"d want to leave the generator sitting around. Not sure if it's a basic plug to then hook into a transfer switch, and then I'd be worried about whether it works such that it's not going to fuck up my tv's etc. (I'd turn everything off, but some things like to auto on if not shut down and suddenly get power back)

I hate electricity, so I also dont know how to compare the watts of portable gen's with the permanant ones being in KWH. They were trying to say 20k would be about maxed out on my space etc though I think that's not being fair to how much I wouldn't be using as I intended it for not freezing than trying to run comforts.

think this guy does a good job explaining it in the 1st 6mins

BrutulTM · Sep 26, 2023

Sludig said:
I hate electricity, so I also dont know how to compare the watts of portable gen's with the permanant ones being in KWH. They were trying to say 20k would be about maxed out on my space etc though I think that's not being fair to how much I wouldn't be using as I intended it for not freezing than trying to run comforts.

You're right.

20k will let most people use the power all through the house like normal. If you don't need to do laundry or bake a cake while the powder is out you can get by with quite a bit less. How much less depends on how many refrigerators and freezers amd heaters and air conditioners you need. If you can get by with the fridge and a couple of lights 2-3000 watts would cover you.

If you're worried about things turning on that you don't want to, just shut off your breakers except the ones you want to use before plugging in the generator.

Foler · Oct 15, 2023

I get it Tom. I’ll go elsewhere.

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