More Economic Tips from Pioneer People

From my found old-timey book of hints for the pioneer household (edited and reworded to not infringe on copyright):

If you raise grain and therefore, hay, teach all members of your family how to weave and braid it, to make their own hats and hats for other family members.

If you keep turkeys and geese, keep the feathers, cleaned, and ready to make a fan. It's easy to do. The sooner kids can be taught this valuable skill, the better for the whole family.

In this country, kids are basically free to do as they please for most of their childhood. This is not good for the purses and patience of the parents (and surrounding people), and has worse effects on the morals and habits of the children. Begin early in making everything an education. A child even as young as six can be useful to the family, and can do a little something each and every day that adds value to the family.

More tomorrow.

Dried Banana Slices Vs Bunny

I bought some dried banana slices recently to see if our Angora bunny would eat them if we were stuck indoors for a lengthy period of time (think blizzard or flu outbreak) and if we weren't able to get fresh raw veggies and fruit.

I'd been giving our bunny 1 or 2 dried slices a day. This morning, I gave her a handful. Do NOT ever do that! I'm gonna repeat that... DO NOT give a bunny more than 1 or 2 dried banana slices. Why?

Because it made her very VERY hyper! Before long, she was running circles around in her cage and panting heavily. I gave her a big bowl of water, talked calmly to her, let her out to thump and run around our home, and gave her space and time. And hay. Lots of hay.

It took about an hour (maybe a little more) before she stopped panting heavily and running around. She's calm now, but I can tell she remembers how she was feeling because of the bananas. Unfortunately, she would still eat some if I gave them to her.

We're holding back carrots, her usual evening treat, and just giving her spinach in addition to her pellets and hay. We'll return to fresh apple and banana slices tomorrow morning. I don't ever want to go through that again.

Lesson learned.

Spinning Fiber to Yarn

I'm a hopeless clutz. I am having such troubles not only harvesting the fiber from our angora rabbit, but also spinning. So I found a book at Amazon.com that I ordered. Just happens to be written by Maggie Casey who owns Shuttles, Spindles and Skeins in Boulder, Colorado! I talked with her this afternoon, asking her what a hopeless clutz should first do to learn to spin.

Basically, she said start with wool, because the fibers are more forgiving and angora is a little more slippery.

Second, one should try all different kinds of spinning, from the drop spindle to different spinning wheels.

When I can afford it, I think I'll take one of her classes.

Blanca Bunny intro

Did I mention we were getting a French Angora rabbit? Well, we did. Unfortunately, it was during our house-selling-and-moving upheaval time. Now that we're settling in, I think she will too.

We call her Blanca because she's pure write, a "ruby-eyed white French Angora". Blanca is Spanish for white.

She was born June 14 2009 so she was about 3 months old when we brought her home. Very scared and nervous, having never been away from other rabbits before, and not out of her crate-home very often.

Angora rabbits need a higher protein than most rabbits because the protein helps to make better fiber (fur) which will be good for spinning into yarn. We feed her "Manapro Grow" rabbit pellets and hay (just bought a year's supply, costing only $27!). She also gets ABC-S (apples, bananas, carrots, spinach), and gets a papaya tablet every other day to prevent woolblock.

I'm learning everything I can about raising Angora bunnies so that when we move to our actual homestead, we can have a small herd of them. I plan to spin the fiber into yarn, and either use the yarn to crochet or knit, or sell the yarn. It's not easy, tho. I still have a lot to learn, especially about handling her and removing her fiber (which is done WITHOUT killing her!).

BTW... I've made a test "wick" using some of her fiber, and it is definitely possible to make a candle-wick with angora fiber. It's an expensive situation but would do in a pinch if I were to run out of wicks.

p.s. I'll add a picture of the bunny when I can!

Helper Animals

With the intention of needing a guard dog on our soon-to-be-found homestead, we bought a 10 week old puppy in the middle of February 2009 (see picture to the right - that was the day after we brought him home).

He's now almost 5 months old, and weighs over 50 pounds. This dog is 1/4 Dalmation, 1/4 Rottweiler, and 1/2 Alaskan Malamute. We call him our horse puppy!

As you may know, Alaskan Malamutes LOVE winter and cold weather, and practically live to pull sleds and wagons.

We have already bought a dog-pack (similar to the pic to the right on the yellow lab) and are slowly acclimating him to the pack. He will not only carry his own food and probably water, but also supplies for when we camp, or maybe even gardening supplies. He will also be trained to pull a load, like a wagon full of harvested produce, or even pull a sled with the Tween inside.

It's almost time to step up his training. But meanwhile, have YOU decided if you need a helper animals for your homestead?

How to Raise Quail Indoors

You want a steady supply of eggs and poultry, but you don't have any space. Or maybe you don't have a backyard. Or maybe poultry isn't allowed in your town. Here's a solution: raise quail.

• They are small birds, so that makes them easy to raise. They only need a square foot of space per 6 birds. You should have 2 females to every 1 male, but a better number is 13 females and 7 males, for a total of 20 birds.
• Quail are pretty quiet birds. Chances are, if you keep the cages clean, no one will know you have them unless they see them.
• Males don't hold to monogamy so they'll breed with any females they get near.
• Quail can be kept indoors year-round. The regular bright indoor lights encourage laying.
• Quail hens will start producing eggs at 6 weeks old, and the birds can be eaten at 4 or 5 weeks old. The meat may be a lot less than a chicken, but is decidedly lower in cholesterol and is quite healthy.
• Remember, if you are going to eat your birds, you'll need to plan it out ahead of time, making sure you have fertilized eggs being tended (whether by a broody or in an incubator) timed to have more birds ready to eat down the road.
• Thoroughly wash and sterilize the incubator/hatchery area in between uses. This will help cut down on disease or infection.
• Never wash an egg that you want to hatch. Clean it lightly with sandpaper or another abrasive. If you must wash it, use warm water (105 degrees F) as using cold will draw any infection into the egg.
• You need to prepare the living spaces for the quail before you get the eggs. There are a lot available already made, or you can make them. Some people use rabbit cages. Remember, though, in order to raise healthy birds for eggs and meat, you need to provide clean healthy living quarters. Keep them off the floor, and keep them protected from the elements (if you find space outdoors). If you choose indoors, you need to keep the area ventilated, clean and disease/germ free, as well as being able to control the temperatures.
• Collect droppings regularly (frequently). Once a day at least. Dispose of them or use in your compost.
• Are you going to just eat the eggs, cook your birds, or sell the quail to others for food? Deciding ahead of time will help you plan out how many cages you need, nesting materials, butchering facilities, and so forth.
• There is so much more information about raising quail. If you decide to go this route, be sure to get your eggs or chicks from someone very knowledgeable, and ask your questions ... from hatching to caring for to butchering. If they won't help, find someone who will.

Whether you raise the quail to sell, as a hobby with other birds, for eggs or for food, having the little living birds nearby can be a real joyful experience, and give you a better understanding of birds in general.

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Updated April 8 2009 at 4:55 p.m.: It appears that the U.S. government is preparing to start requiring all farm animals to be registered. See the posting to come out at www.colorado-preppers.blogspot.com on April 9 2009.

The Right Dog For The Job

This is a picture of our 4 year old Chihuahua (Spirit) and 4 month old puppy Dalmatian-Rottweiler-Alaskan Malamute (Sparky). She's a stable 10 pounds, and he was 40 pounds at 4 months. He'll be well over 100 pounds before he's an adult.


You have a homestead. Probably a couple of chickens, maybe a goat, sheep or pigs. Corn that attracts raccoons. Invasive deer, foxes and coyotes. You want a dog to not only be a pet, but also protect your holdings and herd your livestock. What kind of dog should you get?

One that has the following qualities:

1. Does NOT chase or kill the poultry.
2. Barks at any stranger or strange animal that comes onto the property but does NOT bark all night long.
3. Stays close to home where they belong.
4. Has enough sense not to jump a skunk.
5. Does NOT chase the neighbor's livestock (or yours).

Here's a few purebreed suggestions:

• Beagles: loveable, playful little dogs that make good home pets as well as excellent hunting dogs. Will chase little critters out of the garden, too.
• Boxer: Very joyful, quite smart, fearless, incredible energy, and will babysit children for hours. Once she or he understands that chickens and smaller farm animals are not toys, will completly ignore them. Always up for a rabbit or coyote chase.
• Bulldog: Very loyal, devoted and determined. Don't let the size fool you. This was the dog that Laura Ingalls Wilder talked about as the family pet (Jack) in the first couple of books in her "Little House" series.
• Catahoula leopard cow/hog dogs: They can do it all... work cows/hogs, hunt game, protect the farmstead, and most look so 'different' that strangers are a bit wary of them.
• Collies: Wonderful, bright, hard-working, intelligent dogs. (Shades of Lassie!). Can often be found as protective, ever-present, and very good with kids. Usually will bark at strangers.
• Eskimo Spitz: Bright, beautiful, intelligent dogs. Good watch dogs. Can sometimes be good with children. They DO SHED a lot, but that is a small price to pay for their love and devotion. They are devoted to the family and like to be in the middle of everything that is going on!
• Farm Collies/English Shepherd: These dogs are all-purpose farm dogs: not stock dogs, not hunting dogs, not guard dogs, but all three. They'll herd, guard, are great pest controllers and wonderful family dogs. They are an American farm dog. He will work your livestock when YOU need it done or when the dog sees a real need, and leave them alone otherwise, and leave your neighbor's stock alone (unless they get into your pasture). He'll guard the place but use some discernment, not use his teeth on the oil man and leave you to freeze. Great varmint control, great chicken guards. Devoted to your kids. They don't do well as either yard dogs or fuzzy little child substitutes, they need to be part of your life and know they are your partners and have duties that you define for them. They are hardy, healthy, wash & wear medium-sized dogs who haven't had the good sense bred out of them by being kept in kennels and trotted around a show ring hanging from a string. (But watch out for people who are now showing them for 'championships'.) They barely shed at all. The people who kept the breed alive through the 20th century were mostly farmers, and experienced at good livestock breeding practices. They are literally *designed* to do the work of a small diversified farm or homestead. They can be happy if their job is to watch a few chickens and kill the odd possum and tell you when someone is at the end of the lane, or they can help run a farm with six species of livestock to manage. They hunt well ... people, ducsk, squirrel, etc.
• Retriever (Golden or Labrador): Excellent for basic farm. Needs lots of space to run. Should be neutered or spayed or they'll disappear at some point. Their devotion may overcome the need to run, and could walk right along with you.
• Rottwieller: He lives to kill and devour rats, mice, crows, gophers, etc. Needs to be taught which critters are yours, and which can be killed. He will chase deer out of the veggies. Smart, devoted, and loves to work (will carry packs like a donkey).

Mixes:

• Pick out the pure-bred dogs which have the qualities you most like. Then look for a mix that has them.
• Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever and Collie mixes are great! They have so many good qualities.
• Most of the abandoned puppies, found at the humane society and other shelters, are mixed breeds, and usually have been abandoned. They don't ever want to go through that again so they'll stick close to you at all times (exception: chihuahua).
• Mixed breeds usually don't experience the medical problems that pure-bred do.
• Mixed breeds tend to have more brains, mellow personalities, are well behaved, healthier and just all around great dogs.

Final Note:

• The owner makes the dog, no matter what the breed or mix.
• The more time you spend with them, and the more people and other animals they meet, the better (especially as a puppy). However, don't socialize too much if you want the puppy to grow up to be a fiercely protective guard dog.
• Obedience training and dominance over the dog are musts. Obedience training must begin at the earliest age possible, preferably 7 weeks old (the 49th day of life). Supposedly it's never too late to train a dog, but our chihuahua would refute that.

Use your best judgement. Get a puppy if at all possible.

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About Our Dogs:

Spirit, our chihuahua, is a chihuahua. Self-absorbed, stubborn, thinks she's 100 pounds, and is always looking for an escape route. She refuses to be trained to sit or stay or come or, well, really anything. She will dance, however, for a treat. Her back legs pop out of joint sometimes so doesn't get around as much as she'd like to, but sure does bark when she hears something out of place outside. She's taught that to our puppy. She's spayed; we don't intend to breed her.

Our Dal-Rotti-Mute (Dalmation-Rottweiler-Alaskan Malamute), Sparky, was 10 weeks old when we got him and he's just around 4 months old as of this writing. An unbelievable 40 pounds - he puts on about 5 pounds a week, and eats like a horse. He had never seen other humans or dogs when we got him, nor had on a collar. It took a couple of days for him to warm up to us, but now I think he'd die protecting us. He loves being trained, and has "sit" down cold. We're still working on "come" and "stay". He started out scared of everything, but as recently as yesterday, barked fiercely at someone walking across the street. Oh, and he loves putting his toys back in his toy crate when he's done with them! He's not neutered; we plan to breed him to probably a farm collie when he's a year old or so. Vikki