token
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Post by token on Oct 22, 2016 10:51:51 GMT 10
Anyone use or prepped up with experience on the use of animals for alternative sources of plowing, transport or otherwise?
I love that sort of stuff, and seen it first hand in another country working well.
Out my way i havent however yoked an ox or donkey for that sort of thing, but probably should get a horse for riding one day and otherwise i use goats, sheep and chooks to turn compost piles, remove unwanted growth, prune trees and scratch and fertilize the ground in areas.
Love to hear what others might be doing ey.
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gasman
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Post by gasman on Oct 22, 2016 11:16:07 GMT 10
Anyone use or prepped up with experience on the use of animals for alternative sources of plowing, transport or otherwise? I love that sort of stuff, and seen it first hand in another country working well. Out my way i havent however yoked an ox or donkey for that sort of thing, but probably should get a horse for riding one day and otherwise i use goats, sheep and chooks to turn compost piles, remove unwanted growth, prune trees and scratch and fertilize the ground in areas. Love to hear what others might be doing ey. Not suite the same as plough horses but we bread our own pigs this year Have 16 piglets from two sows happily tearing up a paddock After they have finished and also chickens run thru I'm going to crop( not sure what with) Friends up the road do this and the soil is fantastic Bit taken with pigs- good paddock ploughers and fast growers and reproducers
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shinester
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Post by shinester on Oct 22, 2016 12:31:05 GMT 10
Transport is easy, a bike. No feed required always ready. Add baskets, trailer or go 3/4 wheels for heavier loads, goes most places. I'll throw another non-animal idea for your consideration. As above, a human powered cultivator/tiller, once you've loosened the soil with a tractor/plow to get rid of the rocks etc, and then it would be easy, do your usual rotating of the plots and if it's gone over seasonally, it'll be easy to do by hand. It could be done with a pick if you had to, though of course a lot slower. I'm sure you could weld one up, you have such skills using an old bike wheel/frame, preferably getting your dimensions from proper ones. I know how many kids you have ha ha ... so I get that you might be considering cultivation on a slightly bigger scale than others, though of course those same little humans are also good for work associated with cultivation. The problem I see with animal power is that whilst it's an awesome idea, it's a lot of ongoing cost for something you'll probably never use him/her and there would be a big jump in learning at that point. As a possible introduction, I highly recommend the various period 'farm' bbc series, the above one is Victorian and somewhere in there they have cultivation using animals. Same with the Edwardian farm from memory. Great series I encourage any prepper to check out.
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Post by graynomad on Oct 22, 2016 12:37:42 GMT 10
I like the idea of having a horse or two, mostly for riding though. And I have a neighbour who's an old stockman so he could teach me a lot about them, but I already have enough money pits on the go I can see myself getting goats one day, and love the idea of alpacas/llamas for pack animals, but even if I start growing stuff it will be hydro/aquaponics, I'll never be plowing the land.
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token
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Post by token on Oct 22, 2016 16:06:15 GMT 10
Anyone use or prepped up with experience on the use of animals for alternative sources of plowing, transport or otherwise? I love that sort of stuff, and seen it first hand in another country working well. Out my way i havent however yoked an ox or donkey for that sort of thing, but probably should get a horse for riding one day and otherwise i use goats, sheep and chooks to turn compost piles, remove unwanted growth, prune trees and scratch and fertilize the ground in areas. Love to hear what others might be doing ey. Not suite the same as plough horses but we bread our own pigs this year Have 16 piglets from two sows happily tearing up a paddock After they have finished and also chickens run thru I'm going to crop( not sure what with) Friends up the road do this and the soil is fantastic Bit taken with pigs- good paddock ploughers and fast growers and reproducers Pigs do an awesome job of smashing up ground thats for sure. Their faeces is great for the ground also. In times of depression, if you grew pigs you lived! Funnily enough, and highly illegal however, lots of farmers used pigs to get rid of old carcasses and any biodegradable materials. I killed 150kg pig that had eaten a pallet of lollies, meat was sweet lol. Quite often when i hunt them, if you find a carcass, wait a while as they will come in to eat it. Oh and btw, never go in the pig yard if your feeling faint, a farmer or two have gone missing. If you ever get a nip from a pig, move quick, the next one is harder.
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token
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Post by token on Oct 22, 2016 16:10:35 GMT 10
Transport is easy, a bike. No feed required always ready. Add baskets, trailer or go 3/4 wheels for heavier loads, goes most places. I'll throw another non-animal idea for your consideration. As above, a human powered cultivator/tiller, once you've loosened the soil with a tractor/plow to get rid of the rocks etc, and then it would be easy, do your usual rotating of the plots and if it's gone over seasonally, it'll be easy to do by hand. It could be done with a pick if you had to, though of course a lot slower. I'm sure you could weld one up, you have such skills using an old bike wheel/frame, preferably getting your dimensions from proper ones. I know how many kids you have ha ha ... so I get that you might be considering cultivation on a slightly bigger scale than others, though of course those same little humans are also good for work associated with cultivation. The problem I see with animal power is that whilst it's an awesome idea, it's a lot of ongoing cost for something you'll probably never use him/her and there would be a big jump in learning at that point. As a possible introduction, I highly recommend the various period 'farm' bbc series, the above one is Victorian and somewhere in there they have cultivation using animals. Same with the Edwardian farm from memory. Great series I encourage any prepper to check out. Yes, you do know how many ki...workers i have lol. yer the series looks good, have to take a look some time thanks mate
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token
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Post by token on Oct 22, 2016 16:12:50 GMT 10
I like the idea of having a horse or two, mostly for riding though. And I have a neighbour who's an old stockman so he could teach me a lot about them, but I already have enough money pits on the go I can see myself getting goats one day, and love the idea of alpacas/llamas for pack animals, but even if I start growing stuff it will be hydro/aquaponics, I'll never be plowing the land. Hey Rob, how come you aint gunna plow? Do you like the bush block rather than a cleared area of too much work? Dont forget, you can plow an area once, sow it, let it grow and go to see again and use it for feed for the animals each year as well, so a one off if you dont overgraze it.
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VegHead
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Post by VegHead on Oct 22, 2016 19:01:56 GMT 10
I'll second pigs for plowing!
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token
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Post by token on Oct 22, 2016 19:05:49 GMT 10
I'll second pigs for plowing! Or maybe we should call it destroying lol
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Post by graynomad on Oct 23, 2016 8:03:30 GMT 10
I like the idea of having a horse or two, mostly for riding though. And I have a neighbour who's an old stockman so he could teach me a lot about them, but I already have enough money pits on the go I can see myself getting goats one day, and love the idea of alpacas/llamas for pack animals, but even if I start growing stuff it will be hydro/aquaponics, I'll never be plowing the land. Hey Rob, how come you aint gunna plow? Do you like the bush block rather than a cleared area of too much work? Dont forget, you can plow an area once, sow it, let it grow and go to see again and use it for feed for the animals each year as well, so a one off if you dont overgraze it. Mostly because we live on a rock ridge, and also we don't have enough water to grow stuff in that manner. That said we do have a spot we could use, I guess I could get it plowed once by machine and take over from that, but realistically raised wicking beds or aqua/hydroponics is way more practical here I think. So far my food strategy revolves around storing bought stuff, growing is on my to do list but nowhere near the top. I would like chickens as well etc etc, but for now we still think we might go back to traveling, not full time like before but for months at a time so any form of animal husbandry is not really practical. Mind you we have friends nearby that do just that, they have auto systems to water the fruit trees, they shut down the garden beds and sell the chooks, then start them back up when they return home.
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token
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Post by token on Oct 23, 2016 15:49:27 GMT 10
Hey Rob, how come you aint gunna plow? Do you like the bush block rather than a cleared area of too much work? Dont forget, you can plow an area once, sow it, let it grow and go to see again and use it for feed for the animals each year as well, so a one off if you dont overgraze it. Mostly because we live on a rock ridge, and also we don't have enough water to grow stuff in that manner. That said we do have a spot we could use, I guess I could get it plowed once by machine and take over from that, but realistically raised wicking beds or aqua/hydroponics is way more practical here I think. So far my food strategy revolves around storing bought stuff, growing is on my to do list but nowhere near the top. I would like chickens as well etc etc, but for now we still think we might go back to traveling, not full time like before but for months at a time so any form of animal husbandry is not really practical. Mind you we have friends nearby that do just that, they have auto systems to water the fruit trees, they shut down the garden beds and sell the chooks, then start them back up when they return home. I was more thinking of the plowing of some turf there for stock or chooks to graze. Remember when we were out at robs, he was getting me some different grass seed from his paddocks for me to plant out my way. Same thing, if you rip it and sow a tonne of mixed seed in around the time of year where you reckon you should get rain, it might take well and then grow out and go to seed each year and be a keeper for good. I tell ya what though, get some guinea fowl, they are keepers mate, you should not have to feed them at all, they keep themselves, and they are a good alarm system and snake, mice, rat clearer and will be an alternate source of eggs in season and or meat if society collapses. Im pleased with mine, watched them band together and go a feral cat that came on the block, funny as. If you hit the road, they should be there when you get home, and hopefully have a few little ones with them.
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Post by graynomad on Oct 24, 2016 12:09:13 GMT 10
I'd forgotten about them. After seeing them at our mutual friend's place I thought they might be good, they free range there and seem to be able to look after themselves eh?
How to you think they'd get along with all the local turkeys? We have heaps of them and I'd like to have both.
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token
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Post by token on Oct 24, 2016 18:06:47 GMT 10
I dont think it would be an issue Gray. Scrub turkeys can stay together but not like guinea fowl do. They are like a bunch of birds connected together lol.
The guineas i have get along well with all the chooks and the dogs, quail, cats goats and sheep without any issues mate.
You just have to orient them. That means lock em up for 2 weeks on your block in a pen (nuttin fancy) and give them feed and water, then open the door and put a little feed and keep a bucket of water there, or put it near a dam. Leave the door open from there and then youll find they perch at night in a tree.
Youll know about it if theres a predator on your block in the daytime though.
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Post by doomsdayprepper4570 on Nov 3, 2016 19:42:12 GMT 10
Rob lies! He does plough land already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With hot lead from western action shooting!
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paranoia
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Post by paranoia on Nov 4, 2016 12:23:17 GMT 10
Transport is easy, a bike. No feed required always ready. Add baskets, trailer or go 3/4 wheels for heavier loads, goes most places. I'll throw another non-animal idea for your consideration. As above, a human powered cultivator/tiller, once you've loosened the soil with a tractor/plow to get rid of the rocks etc, and then it would be easy, do your usual rotating of the plots and if it's gone over seasonally, it'll be easy to do by hand. It could be done with a pick if you had to, though of course a lot slower. I'm sure you could weld one up, you have such skills using an old bike wheel/frame, preferably getting your dimensions from proper ones. I know how many kids you have ha ha ... so I get that you might be considering cultivation on a slightly bigger scale than others, though of course those same little humans are also good for work associated with cultivation. The problem I see with animal power is that whilst it's an awesome idea, it's a lot of ongoing cost for something you'll probably never use him/her and there would be a big jump in learning at that point. As a possible introduction, I highly recommend the various period 'farm' bbc series, the above one is Victorian and somewhere in there they have cultivation using animals. Same with the Edwardian farm from memory. Great series I encourage any prepper to check out. I have one of these human powered wheel hoe/plows and find it very useful. Even if the ground isnt completely soft you get a run up and you can plow a furrow quite effectively. A good upper body workout to be sure but makes very quick furrows if you have a large area to do.
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