...I think Im becoming a hippy!

Im getting excited about the new house and building an edible garden (lots of fruit trees and vege's) I also want to breed chickens for meat and eggs and sheep/goats/cattle for meat etc (some quail and guinea fowl may make an apperance as well)
The word "permaculture" has slip into everyday use here and Im deaming of worm farms and the like.

Anyone else here grow their own food? raise their own meat? If so what do you grow and how have you set up your place.

I know its not hunting but hey...Its been slow here for awhile.

carefull - you will turn into a sensitive new-age guy at this rate ....

You can keep ya bloody chickens or any other sort of poultry for that matter - the dirty bastards shit all round your doorways and dig all your vegetable plants out .

Growing beef is fine - until the kids give the critturs names then you arent allowed to kill the animal......and I dont think it would be wise for any aussie to own sheep.....

we started doing that with chicken but then the wife named them and now they are pet chickens ( 1 mean old rooster with one eye and some layers for eggs).

we only get eggs for a 1/3 of the year because we have such crappy weather here.


I love eating goats and lamb as does the wife but i have said NO as all that will happen will be the same bloody thing.

quote:

.and I dont think it would be wise for any aussie to own sheep.....

Get some deer on your place then you can do this

This is not very hippy

For some reason, i get this picture of weatherd sitting on his front deck after a prolonged period of not going hunting, lining up deer with his rifle and making peow peow and rat-atat-tat noises.

Bakes, the hippy tendancy is only a worry if you take an interest in hydroponics.

I did see a red deer hind in fawn for sale in saturdays paper. I thought about it but then I thought about the cost of fencing

Even if they do get names my little carnivores will have no problems in eating them. All chickens/roosters excess to demand will end up as olive python food anyway.

quote:

Bakes, the hippy tendancy is only a worry if you take an interest in hydroponics.

Ahhh I have been looking into aquaponics once the house is set up

Bakes sounds like you are turning into a earth muffin

quote:

Originally posted by Bakes:
I did see a red deer hind in fawn for sale in saturdays paper. I thought about it but then I thought about the cost of fencing

Fencing? A hundred feet of stout chain and collar will suffice, and serve as evidence to all that your tie-dye garden freak stage is only temporary.


Cheers, and you're welcome.

KG

Hoy Bakesy I have an "earth maiden" friend that has some Mung Bean seeds for you and a few copies of GRASS ROOTS Magazine to throw in also.

I've actually been reading earth garden gryph.

Does anyone here/NZ (or in the the states for that matter) raise game birds?

Shanks is raising 400 odd pheasants at the moment ...

We raise a lot of our own vegetables here in the backyard. More for just because it has better flavor than the production farm stuff, instead of trying to be self sufficient though.

Top-Predator -
That's in the new house, not the one you visited me at.


Cleaky -
Nice to see you on another board that I frequent.

Yep, as Cleaky said, I'm rearing 400 right now.
This is what 400 day olds look like.

TP has some good pics of a few I released last year.

you aint feedin` `em enuff if they look like that after 400 days cobber!

Bakesy take up organic home brewed beer mate,its a way better option and always a good excuse to get out to the shed "to check the brew"

Doh! No one said I had to feed em, I've just been sitting there clucking.

Can't stand beer Gryph..... now home made bourbon is another matter.

Shanks is the second person I've heard of today rearing them easy targets.

It's not to hard to do the garden thingy Bakes, our chickens arrive on Sunday so I've been informed Hell you've got the chippies there, may as well get the chook house done at the same time as the kennels

Only chook house being build is the one I have to make. Youngest son will help out of course.

Shanks, any special requirments for pheasant?
400 is a bit much but a couple would be ok. Something dofferent to add to the plate other than stock standard chicken.

Not food or upkeep wise. Can't legally eat them from the pen around here as they belong too the crown, have to release them and shoot them flying in season.

Really, what a stupid law. I thought we were over the whole "crown" bit these days.

Bakes,

if you want to successfully breed chickens, get a couple roosters! Or a kiwi, I hear they'll do anything for a cold Fosters.

Rich

Mate....no one drinks Fosters but you yanks

Bakes, I know you are a dog lover. I must warn you that poultry of any kind attracts stay dogs for miles around. You will face the uncomfortable truth that you will have to do something about it or lose your birds.

Thats all in hand mate. The house paddock will be fenced very well and the chooks will be locked up during the day. Any strays will have to contend with my dogs then me