Farming and homeschooling

We have a small homestead. 12 acres with 4 Jersey cows, three of which we milk at various times, sheep, chickens, ducks, cats, dogs, garden. 🙂 We own our own business (a pharmacy…dh is a pharmacist, ) I run my library, we are in Suzuki violin twice a week an hour away. I cook traditionally as much as I can, make butter, cheese, etc. And we do a CM homeschool. (Thank goodness for,short lessons!). There are times when I think my head will explode. Other seasons it’s not so busy. It’s a wonderful life for our boys. My 10yo son is known as the chicken wrangler and the cow whisperer. He can make those animals do about anything he wants. One thing that helps in the milking department is that we try to breed the cows so that they are dry at around the same time during the winter. We’re down to milking once a day, in fact. It really helps morale if we get a break.

Chickens are easy. We keep ours inside solar-powered electric netting which we move around. Keeps the chickens in their places, out of the dogs mouths and lets them free range inside the netting.

The sheep are easy. We don’t milk them. They are mainly to keep the pasture under control and meat.

The cows are the most work but the whole reason we started this crazy life was for the milk so they’re keepers.

Most of our farm chores are done in early morning and the evening. The rest of the day, for the most part is ours. You get into a seasonal routine. We have had the occasional crisis, of course, like when we flooded seven times in six weeks a couple of years ago and had chickens drowning and cows having nervous breakdowns but such is any kind of life.

And just to let you know…my husband and I grew up in subdivisions. We had NO experience with ANY of it. But you love and learn, and the best part is, so do your children.

If you have to hire to butcher them, then it’s not as economical. You’ll get used to it. we just butchered 12 chickens in the past month (four at a time 3, different weeks) and it takes all four of us.

At first, it took a real mental change. The first ones we culled we changed their names to whatever they were going to br usef for. For ex: we had one named chicken salad, chicken pot pie, roast, chicken nuggets, etc. That really helped early on.

Now, I just have the rule that they are not called by their names after butchering (it’s not killing in the human against a human sense), just their breed or their final purpose.

Also, a Foodsaver machine is an absolute have-to-have, IMO. I freeze all of the feet in their own bags, livers, and the birds themselves; labeled w/their breed and cooking purpose.

We provide our chickens with a great life, a REAL chicken life, with good food and care; in return they provide us with eggs and/or meat. We know they are heritage birds, we know what they have been fed and what meds. (herbal de-wormer, sulfer for mites and pyrethrin for fleas, bugs if/when necessary) they have been given.

Some we watch being raised by the chicken momma herself and marvel at the way things work out in the yard (this is our preference). We can even tell the difference between the meat taste of differing breeds and have preferences.

When we pass by the chicken trucks, with all those hybrids stuck in small cages going to their deaths without having the kind of life they were meant to live: being fed all sorts of garbage, not to mention the method of butchering. My husband and son say a prayer to G-D, thanking him for the provision He has given us just prior to butchering. The way those birds are treated from hatch to death–that’s what’s inhumane; not butchering in the backyard and finishing off in the kitchen. My children always say “poor chickens” when they see them on those trucks.

But it requires a change in mindset; it gets easier. The first bird we butchered, I couldn’t cook it or see; so my husband did and made fried chicken so it didn’t look like a chicken!

I keep the livers and feet, too. My dd is really good at peeling the scales off after blanching.

It is a lot of work and my husband is disabled: seizures, demyelination, multiple back surgeries and I also have some really bad days from my previous neck surgeries. So that’s why we have waited on getting a cow – we were looking at a Dexter or a smallish Jersey, just one Family Cow; but not yet. My children want one so bad and make all sorts of promises of what they would do (which I don’t soubt, considering what they do now without complaint).

Also, don’t underestimate what your children can accomplish-and it’s good for them. My son is the chicken whisperer. They need to do more than just “help some”.

I also garden year-round, since I’m in Ga. and can do that.

Like Robin said, it is seasonal, not always super-busy, but always busy and every year is different.

I actually struggle more with the amt. of dogs and mud in the house, and housework (I stink at it) more than the chickens. This year, we had excess rain and it caused issues for all our animals – pets and livestock.

My stress comes from my hubby’s health and money, more than our small homestead. His issues interfere more with schooling than our homestead. So, can you do it? If you and your husband are committed (which mine is, his health just doesn’t always cooperate) to it and have a vision of your family working together to make the life possible, then YES! Ya”l can do it. Just start slow, is my advice.

Our chickens are now free-ranging completely, we have two yards and an extra two runs (which I replant cover appropriate to the season) to put others into if they need to be pulled from the ranks. You need to be prepared to pull ones out that need medical attention and also pull out surprise (or intentional) cockerels from the flock, too. Also, they do need more food than free-ranging provides.

The more you can grow for them, however, the lower the consumption of the soy-free feed.

Robin I just wanted to say I am in awe of all you do and, though I’m sure you don’t want to hear this, it makes me feel ashamed at how little I do.  I will have to use that thought of all you can get done in a day and in a week to inspire me to behave similarly.  It sounds like a lovely life you have created!

Good luck, just take it slow and find out what things are “worth it” to you.

We live in a suburb but we have an aquaponic greenhouse (with tilapia), chickens for eggs (in a coop that we can move to fresh weeds in a small portion of our side yard, we also give them a lot of scraps and veggies the grocery store throws out), and we just got some rabbits too (for meat). We are pretty new to all of it, but it makes living “in town” (something neither of us grew up with) a little easier and we hope that we get some good food out of it as well. The kids love the animals.

Oh Robin, that would be awesome!!  Praying your dreams come true :))