Although myotonic goats are more docile than other breeds, Romeo also can be a bit testy this time of year and will butt away any of the younger bucklings who try to compete for food or females.  He wouldn’t try to hurt me, but I do have to watch out and not get in his way when he’s on a mission.

Love Stinks!

Romeo has completed his “mission” this year, and all the female goats have been bred.  The does preferred him, rebuffing the advances of the younger bucks.  I guess the still sweet-smelling bucklings were no match for Romeo’s rank ripeness.  To make sure he hasn’t missed anyone, Romeo blubbers, curls his lip (the flehmen response), and sniffs the air.  This is the yucky part that I don’t like about breeding goats—putting up with a stinking, blubbering, 150- to 200-pound buck in rut.  One of this winter’s projects will be to move the buck pen to pasture even further from the house.

Something I do like about Romeo’s rut season is that it coincides with the campaign season for our local politicians.  They love opening my gate and driving up to ask for my vote.  Letting Romeo out of his paddock is very effective in keeping them at bay.  My drive winds along the pasture where I keep the does, and Romeo will camp out in the drive all day mooning over the girls on the other side of the fence.  All but one campaigner has declined to get out of the car to greet all that stinky badness.

That campaigner visited us in August.  Romeo was in the driveway nose-to-nose at the fence with Reba, a pretty reddish brown doe.  She had come into a standing heat and was bawling her lungs out on her side of the fence.  I had decided it was time to let her in the drive with Romeo.  I’d forgotten about the two young bucklings that I’d also let out with Romeo earlier that morning so that they could browse along the overgrown drive.  Just about the time I let Reba out, here comes the next would-be county school board member.  He got out of his car and handed me his literature, smiling and talking, and all the while ignoring what was happening under his nose.

Romeo was fast.  Reba didn’t even have time to say hello before the deed was done.  At climax, Romeo did what he always does in that situation—he fainted.  Fell right out in the drive at the feet of the still-talking-not-saying-anything politician.  The campaigner soon got in his car to head back down the drive.

Before he could get away, the two bucklings appeared and tried to get in on the action.  Reba, preferring the riper aroma of Romeo, headed off down the driveway in front of his car to escape them.  The two little bucks followed her, unsuccessfully trying to mount her and humping their way down the driveway in pursuit.  Meanwhile, Romeo had recovered from his brief muscular lockup, saw what they were trying to do, and was having none of it.  He headed off after the bucklings, which were after Reba—the whole X-rated parade now in front of the politician’s car as he crept along, still smiling between beads of sweat.  Fortunately, the herd veered off before the politician reached the gate.  He was able to flee, and I was able to go rescue Reba from her walk of shame.

Romeo and the small herd of his buckling sons are just some of the bad boys on my homestead.  I also have a gang of maturing roosters and, believe it or not, mobs of drone honeybees.  Way too much testosterone for one small homestead!  What happens with all the extra males involved in keeping livestock?  Let’s start with the bucklings.  They will go to a local market for slaughter later this month.

Yes, I said “slaughter.”  No, it doesn’t fit the storybook image that many have of homesteading, but I agree with and love quoting homesteader Gene Logsdon on this subject.  In Gene Everlasting, he says, “We raise our farm animals with loving care, grow quite fond of them, put our lives at risk to save theirs if necessary, and then we kill and eat them.”

Keeping male animals is important and sometimes necessary on the homestead.  Romeo’s genetics are half of my herd right now.  He’s important and he’s done an excellent job.  To care for him and the rest of my herd, I have to be willing to manage my bucks responsibly, and that means culling to prevent injury to both males and females from too many aggressive males fighting for herd dominance.

Domesticated livestock descended from wild animals.  Males fight for dominance, maiming and sometimes killing one another to prove they are the strongest and most fit for mating.  Offspring from these males have the best chance of survival.  Even though they’ve been domesticated, all the girls still want the biggest, baddest dude on the homestead, and all the boys are all out to be that guy. Even the cocky little birds want to be that guy, and roosters can be the most brutal.

Nice Guys Are “Finished” Last on the Homestead

I try to keep one rooster so that I can maintain a flock of layers and hatch out new chicks when needed.  Hatching out your own chicks is fun, saves money on replacement chickens, but always produces more roosters than needed.  When they are about five or six months old, the roosters mature, start crowing, worry the hens sometimes to the point they quit laying, and fight one another for dominance.  One mature rooster can sometimes be too many, but a whole barnyard gang of cocky adolescents can be a nightmare.  Humane slaughter of a rooster is much kinder than the slow, painful maiming that these little birds can inflict on one another!  When the roosters get to be about five months old, it’s time to plan a processing day.

One good rooster usually survives processing day.  A good rooster will guard his hens against harm, call them to eat during the day and to the roost at sunset, let them eat first, and will not injure them—and will not flog humans!  A rooster that does not meet this description—even if he is the last man standing—goes into the freezer.  (Just ask my sister-in-law who was flogged by the “late” and latest Mr. Nasty.)

You must be willing to cull a bird if you’re going to keep roosters.  You can’t have a rooster around who will flog you or your guests.  He won’t get better.  His spurs will just get longer and more deadly.  I once worked with a woman whose grandfather was killed by a rooster!  He died of blood poisoning after being spurred by one of his own roosters.  Like me, she’s learned not to give her roosters a second chance when it comes to flogging humans.  When a bird puts a bead on you, drags one wing downward as he circles around to attack you from behind, it’s time to put him in the crockpot.

You must be willing to cowboy or cowgirl up and not try to give the problem away to someone else to deal with.  If you find someone who does want a problem rooster, that person is either naive to roosters, plans to eat it him or herself (the only good reason to give it away), or worst of all, plans to capitalize on its natural aggression and use it in a cockfight.  I’ve even heard that roosters and chickens are ending up in animal shelters after people experiment with backyard flocks and then find it isn’t for them.  An animal shelter?  Is that how removed we have become from nature and the source of our food?  You can learn to harvest your own birds humanely.

The most humane way to harvest a rooster is to take him from his roost at night and put him in a small cage until morning.  Take him from the cage, and hold him firmly in your arms to keep him calm while placing him upside-down in a killing cone.  Being upside-down and held firmly by the cone will calm him.  Cut the jugular vein on one or both sides and let him bleed out into a bucket.  If you do this correctly, the most stressful part for the bird will be in catching him.  Joel Salatin has a great video on Youtube that shows you how to humanely and respectfully process a chicken: “How to Butcher a Chicken.” (Homestead.org also has this helpful article: Put Your Poultry in Your Pantry: City Folk Learn to Dispatch and Dress Chickens)

The rest of your flock will reward you with contented clucking, scratching, and more prolific egg-laying when you get rid of these domestic abusers.

Not Only the Birds, but the Bees, Too!

The nice thing about keeping honeybees is that they take care of their own bad boys.  The males, the drones, have one purpose in life—to mate with a virgin queen.  Until they do, the worker bees, which are all female, will care for them and feed them.  The drones do no other work for the hive.  After being fed and groomed by their sisters, they fly out to what’s called drone congregating areas, the equivalent of their local bar, to wait for a queen to fly by.  If they “get lucky,” they die in midair after having their boy parts pulled from their bodies during mating.  If they fail to find a queen, they return to the hive to be fed and coddled until they can try again the next day.

But now as fall approaches, the bees are also preparing for winter.  The drones that haven’t mated have no purpose for the hive and are using up valuable resources, which must be stored and rationed until the spring bloom.  The worker bees unceremoniously drag the drones from the hive and prevent their re-entry.  Left on their own, these lazy, ne’er-do-wells will starve and freeze to death.

Not Such Bad Boys After All

I’m calling these animals “bad boys” and “ne’er-do-wells” with tongue firmly in cheek.  I don’t want to anthropomorphize.  They are behaving as they are designed to behave.  These males are as necessary as their female counterparts in the web of life.  In the wild, nature takes care of excess numbers practically and matter-of-factly.  Animals may fight to the death for food and reproductive rights.  If they live, weaker males are often ostracized.  Animals hunt, inflict pain, kill, and reproduce.  It isn’t pretty by our sensibilities.  It is what it is.

Just as we shouldn’t anthropomorphize animals, we don’t want to animalize humans.  Although we are animals and interwoven with all of nature, we have a consciousness that makes us human.  Unlike the other animals, we have morals, empathy and compassion, and love for one another.  It is precisely because we are human animals that the suffering of other animals bothers us.  On a homestead, we have taken responsibility for the animals we manage and we bring our humanness to the task.

Keeping Livestock is a Sacred Responsibility

I call keeping livestock and their harvest a sacred responsibility because one definition of sacred is “worthy of respect, venerable.”  To sacrifice an animal means we are harvesting something that we highly value for a greater good.

Many of the meals on our plates come from the excess males from our herds and flocks, sacrificed to become our sustenance.  We can honor these animals by being responsible shepherds: treating them well, keeping them healthy, and harvesting them humanely.  Doing so is much kinder by human sensibilities than the cold-blooded manner in which they deal with one another.

The post Bad Boys on the Homestead appeared first on Homestead.org.

In June, an amazing turn of events occurred.  When we threw our wedding feast at our homestead on Summer Solstice, we were thrilled to introduce family and friends to many new additions, including a trio of American Guinea Hogs.  My dream pigs.

Due to their moving, friends gifted us the hogs and myriad new poultry.  Our small farm had grown.   The Universe had granted my wish.  I could stop perusing “baby pigs for sale” posts.

We had to jump in and learn all about raising pigs quickly.  I had read that American Guinea Hogs provided some of the best-tasting pork, were friendly, and easy to manage.  Yet much of the initial preparations before acquiring them was not fun.  Some of it was even dangerous.  From moving the pigs to the homestead, to erecting “pig proof” fencing, figuring out a knock-over-proof watering system, to the first piglets born, and the reality of the boars’ desire to murder my husband, our experiences with them has been a challenge.

Already incorporating many heritage animals (Heritage Turkeys on the Homestead, for example) into our small farm, the Guinea Hog seemed the ideal pig for us.  They were reported to be excellent foragers, hardy, docile, and being half the size of most hogs (with flavorful meat and outstanding lard)—the perfect size for two people to process themselves.

All of that may be true, but I still questioned (on a regular basis), if they were the animal for us.

June

A call from a friend: did we want some more farm animals?  After taking a drive to see what he had, we said yes.  Returning to their farm with a huge wooden transport crate and several pet carriers, we collected the critters we would welcome to our homestead.

The poultry was easy.  I knew how to handle poultry.  But hogs?  Big, muscular hogs (the boar and one female were almost 100 pounds each, the younger one about 50 pounds)— that were scared to death of us and being moved—I did not know how to handle.

Thankfully, my husband was less afraid than me.  He entered their yard and removed each hog one by one.  With all the running around, grappling, tying leads around them, and pig screaming, how he got them into the crate I still don’t know.  I just know that when he yelled to shut the gate or the crate door, I did it fast and held it closed with all my might.

Once home, we moved the crate (with the hogs in it) with the tractor, to the quarantine area allotted for them: a fenced-in section of land next to the goats.  It was a smaller space than I’d envisioned for them.  Regardless, l was thrilled they were with us.

I had researched heritage hogs quite a bit, yet something that I wasn’t prepared for was their screams and foaming at the mouth when hungry.  When they saw me coming around at feeding time, they went nuts.  The boar would bite the girls; the scene was scary.  I remember repeatedly asking my husband if the fence was strong enough.  To keep the male from hurting the girls, I gave them lots of in-between-meal snacks.

We worked on rigging water containers to prevent getting dumped constantly, and (because I had the urge to constantly feed them) we researched appropriate food rations and the best treats to give them,

Names were selected: Mr. Hawg, Petunia, and Violet.  We now had heritage hogs.

July

They were curious and busy.  Very busy.  As in they were constantly walking, rooting for anything edible in their yard.   By mid-July they had already excavated their entire area, eating every single plant, acorn and blade of grass.  All that was left was deep ruts, stones and lots of mud.  Mr. Hawg kept pestering them, beyond his usual pestering. [Like some other Bad Boys on the Homestead.]

It was time to move the pigs.  Having mainly sloped, wooded land, with no substantial pasture, we hiked our property to find a more suitable location for them.

On July 29th, a month after bringing them home, we moved them to a huge area that offered both shade trees and open sunny areas.  The lot was covered in grass and brush.  Once the summer foliage was consumed, acorns would drop from the trees.

During a stressful (for me) move, Petunia got loose.  She was easy to lead to their new area; I just kept shaking a cup of grain.  I just thanked the heavens it wasn’t Mr. Hawg that got loose.

Once safely in their area, I watched. They ran around and foraged.  They seemed much happier, which made me happy.

After the move, Mr. Hawg began to act increasingly aggressive towards Larry.  Larry treated them all with care and respect, so it puzzled me.  We researched possible causes and tried several techniques to diffuse the situation.

August

Such an awesome month for the entire homestead!  The hogs were content in their area.  Busy foraging and enjoying the summer.  They received the many scraps from our gardens.  After every brush removal and tree-clearing project, we tossed their favorite brush into their yard, after the goats got their fill.  The hogs were partial to beech, oak, and maple.  The grass in their area was gone at this point, so I gathered a large bucket-full for them every night after dinner and tossed it in.  They also munched on the patch of cornstalks we lopped down.  They were eating much less grain and looked to be in perfect shape.  Except Petunia.  She looked wider.  I wondered if she was pregnant, but her genitalia did not match the photos of pregnant sows I saw online. Her udders were not hanging either, but they were starting to look different. I monitored her closely.  She probably got tired of me staring at her hind and milk bags, but yeah, I wasn’t sure if she was pregnant or not.

Mr. Hawg was (mostly) fine with me, but he was still keen on murdering Larry.  After watching him attack the fence at Larry, and then nipping at me several times, I stopped going into the hog area.  I simply did not trust him.

We made plans to separate him from the girls.  We even moved a portable poultry tractor to the far side of the area.  Larry erected more hog fencing, so Mr. Hawg would have ample room to roam, and I could interact with the girls without fear.  However, Larry’s work schedule suddenly got busy.  The gate and hut still needed work, so we had to put off moving Mr. Hawg.  The plan was to get him moved by September 6th.

September

September 2nd, 7:00 AM: Three squealing hogs demanding breakfast when they see me doing rounds.  Mr. Hawg nipping them to get first dibs.  Nothing unusual.

At noon, what I saw wasn’t just unusual, it was surreal.

The hogs were napping in their hut (on hot summer days it remained cool in there).  As I approached their yard, Mr. Hawg and Violet hopped out of the hut, and began jumping at the fence-squealing and foaming at the mouth.  Just as I dumped the first cup of feed in, Petunia hopped out of the hut.  With a long red, bloody mass hanging from her behind.  I had zero idea what it was, until a wee piglet tumbled out of the hut (there was a one-foot drop from hut to ground).  I stared at it, then at Petunia, who in between mouthful of lunch, squatted to expel the placenta hanging from her hind.

What the… I froze when another piglet tumbled out of the hut.  The piglets staggered and cried, apparently as confused as I was.  When they rolled under the hut, I shook away my shock.  After a quick peek through the slits on the side of the hut—and seeing another piglet in the corner (it was not moving)—I called Larry because, of course, I’m usually alone when crazy things happen.

The next hour was hilariously hectic.  I will not go into the absurd, tear-soaked details, but in that hour, I somehow had things in some semblance of control.

Mr. Hawg was in his new area.  I still don’t know how I lifted logs over the fence on a ladder to secure the gate, but apparently, that is exactly what I did.  That, and wrapped about a zillion straps and bungee cords to keep him contained in that yard.

The newborn piglets that rolled under the hog hut were pulled out (I have a vague memory of laying on my back, grappling at them with a branch and praying the sows did not trample me).

While I did these things, Petunia gave birth to a fourth piglet.

Sadly, the unmoving piglet in their hut was deceased.  It was a large male.  Mr. Hawg’s successor. Its death was Mr. Hawgs saving grace, as I wanted to keep only one boar on premises.

When Larry, on his lunch break, came screeching into the driveway, he helped me get things in even better order.  Tears of stress already shed, I was simply thankful he was there as I cleaned the afterbirths and tidied up the hut.

The boy piglet was buried in the wildflower garden, atop the hill that overlooked his family.

Petunias’ three surviving piglets were all girls.  Seemingly healthy babies; when I finally walked up the hill to the house mid-afternoon, they were all actively nursing on mom.

A few days later, Mr. Hawg was moved back with Violet, (the only way to stop his bashing the fence and gate) and we moved Petunia and her babies into that other hut, which Larry completed.  The gate and yard were also finished.

There.  Now I could enjoy the new babies.  Which I truly did.  I think I took as many pictures of them as I did of my own human children.

October

The piglets still nursed but increased their grain and plant intake substantially.  They ate and grew.  Grew and ate.  Then ate and grew some more.  Petunia’s food intake was increased to allow her to regain her condition.  I fed them garden vegetables I had in the freezer, but the bulk of their diet was grain.   A lot of grain.

Their hut and yard were more than adequate shelter on mild days, but New England weather is unpredictable.  I was anxious to move them back to the main area, into a wooden house.  My anxiety was validated when the weather turned extremely windy and wet.  It rained for days on end, followed by extremely cold nights.  The weekly hut-cleaning turned into daily cleaning.  I wanted them out of there.

I still cut trees and gathered as much greenery as I could for them, but as the month progressed, the supply diminished.  I fed them the last of our homegrown pumpkins.  Grain intake increased even more.

On the other side of the hog yard, Mr. Hawg’s behavior towards Violet had become increasingly aggressive.  So, not only was Larry not a fan of him, Violet was being harassed all the time.  I wanted him to work out so badly; yet when I looked at the piglets, I was torn.  If an older female had a difficult time with him, how would they fare?  I could not allow the possibility of them getting harmed by him.  I thought about keeping him separated from the girls indefinitely and only combining them for mating.  It took a lot of soul-searching to decide.

November

After moving a second wooden house to the hog area, we said good-bye to Mr. Hawg.  We ended his life and processed him ourselves.  It was Larry’s’ first time butchering a hog.  Not wanting to waste even an ounce of meat or fat, it took him the entire day.  Afterward, an experienced butcher critiqued his work.  Not surprisingly, he was given an A+.  I wasn’t surprised.  He’s awesome.

While he was processing the boar, I opened the gate between hog yards.  I had no idea what would happen.  They had only been apart for two months

What I witnessed was shocking.  Petunia attacked Violet.  An all-out teeth-bared brawl ensued.  Violet’s ear was bleeding by the time I intervened.  Bad enough to require blood-stop (styptic) powder and triple antibiotic.  The piglets stayed in their own yard during the fight, their little noses poking through the fence.

The sows cooled down as they rooted in the yard.  They snorted at each other, but thankfully there was no further fighting.

Despite that initial conflict, Violet was gentle with the piglets when they finally ventured into the main yard.  She allowed them to feed with her and follow her around.  That first night, Violet slept in her old house by herself.  Petunia and her babies slept in the new house.  By the end of the week, the piglets took turns sleeping with Aunty Violet or Mom.  By the end of week two, all five of them were sleeping together.

During another stretch of wet, freezing cold weather (accompanied with snow this time), one of the piglets—Lily—got sick.  On was an extremely cold and icy morning, Lily was standing way in the back of their house, hacking and coughing so hard that her eyes bulged.

In a tear-laden, frustrated frenzy, I managed to remove a 50ish-pound screaming, thrashing, headbutting hoglet through the small doorway, load her in a crate I had strapped to the 4-wheeler, drove her up the icy hill, and into a warm house.

With zero experience in swine ailments, I scoured the internet, and tapped into my knowledge of the Basics of Animal Aid.

I applied several techniques to stabilize Lily: focusing on rehydration, cough suppression, rest, and warmth that first day and evening.  Lily became a huge fan of honey.  If I offered her the rehydration/cough-suppression concoction without it, she nudged it away.

Although my general approach to healing is mainly based on natural techniques, on day 2 we gave her a shot of a broad-spectrum antibiotic.  By day three, she was roaming around the house or bashing in her crate to get out. Her energy was back, and her symptoms were under control.  On day 4, Larry returned her to her family, who appeared very happy to see her.

December

We already have substantial snow here in New England and it is not even officially winter.  The local ski-area opened before Thanksgiving.  With a long winter is ahead of us, I want to simply enjoy our American Guinea Hog girls.  But I kind of can’t just relax.

Because of Violet.  Since saying good-bye to Mr.  Hawg, I have noticed changes in her.  She has gained weight, for sure.  I am not as sure about her teats, however.  Are they or aren’t they lower?   I am not sure if she’s just growing or… if she’s pregnant.

She could deliver anytime this winter.  Or could not.  Will we be gifted with more piglets this holiday season, or will there be peace on our small farm?

I guess we will find out.  If she is pregnant, I am fairly certain of one thing: I will probably be alone when it happens!

For more information on Heritage Guinea Hogs:

https://guineahogs.org/american-guinea-hog-breed-description/

https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/guineahog

The post Raising American Guinea Hogs on the Homestead appeared first on Homestead.org.

If you regularly work with livestock, you will likely encounter an orphaned baby at some point.  At the homestead, we learn to expect the unexpected.  Sometimes, that might entail death due to birthing complications or an unfortunate accident shortly after childbirth.  Other times, a baby will become orphaned because the mother rejects it and refuses to let it nurse.  In addition, if a mother births multiples, it is likely that at least one of the babies will be underfed and undernourished.  In these cases, you might choose to graft one of the babies onto another mother.  An orphaned animal is potentially a huge liability on a farm.  The situation can become a stressful and delicate balance between ensuring the orphan’s health and minimizing expenses and unnecessary time allocation.

Last spring, while the other farmers and I were making our rounds through the pastures looking for newborn calves, we heard a new calf bleating incessantly, quite some distance away from the herd.  The mother had died sometime shortly after birthing, leaving the dogie without a source of colostrum and milk during the most impressionable and important hours of his new life.  We would have to train him to bottle feed while we sought an alternative solution.

Early the next morning, we became alarmed when we heard one of the mother cows bawling.  Our neighbor told us that she had been bawling all night, and when we walked out to see her, it became apparent why she was so distraught: her calf had been stillborn or had died shortly after birth.  I was impressed to witness that the power of a mother’s love can transcend species and cognitive prowess, and to be so heart-broken indicated that she might have made a great mother.

Suddenly, we had two unforeseen problems on our hands, and they were counterparts of the same equation.  Bottle-feeding can be costly and an inefficient use of time.  In my experience, bottle-fed babies never seem to receive the same quality nutrition afforded to naturally-fed babies.  In just about every case I can recall, their growth has been stunted, they seem to lack the social skills developed within the herd, and bloat and scours can become an issue even when transitioning to pasture.  Finding the optimal feeding regiment to complement their development poses an inherent challenge with little room for error or variation.  It can be time-consuming in an occupation/lifestyle where the notion of spare time is as fantastical as unicorns and leprechauns.  Coupled with the necessities of a mother who has lost her baby, grafting to a foster mother quickly becomes the most efficient and gratifying alternative.

A mother who lost her baby in the throes of birthing or the critical days that follow can be at risk for other complications.  Udder pressure on a new mother can begin to build, becoming painful and posing a risk for problems like mastitis.  “First-calvers”, or first-time mothers, tend to have especially prolific udders.  Milking the mother at 12-hour intervals can take valuable time away from other projects but might be necessary, especially among dairy breeds.  And if the mother is not used to being milked by hand, you could be in for a wild ride.  Posed with both of these problems, the solution seemed obvious: we decided to graft the dogie onto the new mother.  As most things go, this particular case turned out to be much easier said than done.  Below are a few steps to consider should you ever find yourself posed with a similar situation.  Even though much of the article references a cow and calf, most of these techniques can be used for all species of livestock.

Grafting an Orphan Calf to a Surrogate Mother Part One: Ensure You Have the Means to Properly Guide or Control the Animals

Grafting a calf takes time, often anywhere from 7 to 14 days.  In some cases, the mother will take to the calf immediately, but consider those instances the exception to the rule.  It is likely that at some point during the grafting process, it will be advantageous to either lead or tie the mother.  Putting a halter on her immediately will help keep your blood pressure lower when that point arises.  If she is not halter-broke yet, leave the lead-rope on so that she learns to give toward pressure.  It can also be a huge advantage to halter-train the calf early on.  If you do put a halter on the calf and begin working with him, make sure you remove the lead-rope so the mother doesn’t step on it during nursing.

Grafting an Orphan Calf to a Surrogate Mother Part Two: Isolate the Mother and Baby Together Away From the Herd

The first and easiest step is to pair the two together in a pen where they are separated from the herd and in a safe environment where they can be calm and become introduced.  It is important to keep an eye on them, especially the first times they are penned together, because the mother could become anxious or suspicious and reject the calf.  The calf might try to feed and if the mother is distraught and nervous, she could cow-kick at the calf, causing injury.  If the calf persists, this aggression can turn into head-butting and charging.  If the mother is showing signs of aggression toward the calf, it is best to introduce a barrier into the pen so that they can be separated from each other while still given the chance to become acquainted.

Grafting an Orphan Calf to a Surrogate Mother Part Three: Distract the Mother

Offer the mother some hay or grain while the calf attempts to nurse.  The hay can provide a distraction for the mother and pacify her while the calf becomes comfortable with the new surroundings and the process of nursing.  Cows are very scent-oriented and use it to recognize their own calves.  By feeding the mother, you are also keeping her nose pointed away from the stranger-calf and occupied with eating.

Grafting an Orphan Calf to a Surrogate Mother Part Four: Confuse the Olfactory

While simply penning the two together might be enough for the mother to begin nursing the calf, many mothers will require more convincing.  Because the mother smells that the new calf is not her own, you might have to fool her olfactory.  If the surrogate mother has recently given birth and you still have access to the fresh placenta, you can use it to cover the calf in the scent of her afterbirth.  Be liberal with the fluids and afterbirth and try to cover the calf as thoroughly as you can.  If the mother has just given birth, her instincts will be to begin licking her calf clean; this is the first—and perhaps most important—bonding time between the mother and her new calf.  To persuade her to mimic this action with the orphan, you can sprinkle salt or molasses along the back and head of the calf.  The intention is to persuade the mother to lick the calf clean, and in doing so, recreate the initial bonding motions and convince her that it is, in fact, her calf.

If you do not have access to the afterbirth, you can attempt to fool the mother’s olfactory by using either manure or camphor vapor rub around her snout.  There are also commercial products designed specifically for this purpose.  Using her own manure around her snout will cause her to recognize her own scent, and hopefully she attributes it to the calf in the pen with her.  Using a vapor rub serves to mask the scent entirely, and hopefully her instincts to be a good mother will be enough to let the calf start nursing.

Grafting an Orphan Calf to a Surrogate Mother Part Five: Collect the Mother’s Milk

Depending on the situation, you might need to milk the mother by hand to relieve some of the pressure on her udder.  This udder pressure can be an advantage, prompting the mother to let the calf nurse, but at a certain point it can become dangerous or cause the udder to be overly sensitive, and she will reject the calf’s attempts even more.  If the calf is still only a day or two old, and the foster mother birthed within the previous three days, it is best to try to milk the mother for colostrum immediately.  Colostrum contains antibodies and other nutritional benefits that are crucial to the newborn calf for a healthy start.  If the calf is older, or the mother is no longer producing colostrum, it is still advantageous to collect some of her milk to bottle feed to the calf.  The sooner you can get the surrogate mother’s milk through the calf, the sooner his manure will begin to carry the mother’s scent, thereby further fooling her olfactory.  The milk can also be used to cover the calf directly, soaking him in the scent of the mother’s milk.  With his coat wet, you can try the salt trick again, hopefully prompting the mother to lick the calf clean, causing her maternal instincts to supersede her hesitation toward the calf.

The old cowboy trick is to skin the dead calf and drape the pelt over the orphaned calf, convincing the mother that it is her biological baby.  This technique has been around for hundreds of years, and many sources agree that it has the highest and fastest success rate.  In many circumstances, this will not be an option, but in a situation where the calf has recently died and the coat is still fresh, I would recommend beginning the grafting with this technique.  If you are not practiced in skinning dead animals, the process could take much longer than expected, and you will have to decide whether it is worth your time.  There are a few tricks, though, and generally it should not take more than an hour or two to produce a skin, even for somebody who lacks experience.  There are a number of resources available with instructions on various skinning methods, and you should be able to find one conducive to your set-up.  While some people might find the process upsetting, keep in mind that the primary goal is to save the life of the orphaned calf and ensure he gets the best nutrition possible.

Repeat the Process

Remember that this process will take time.  Keep the pair isolated from the rest of the herd during the grafting process (and separated if the mother is aggressive).  Continue to bottle-feed the calf using as much of the mother’s milk as possible.  Ideally, the calf will develop a preference for the mother’s milk over the formula mix and continue trying to nurse.  Devote some of your time in the morning and evening to supervising the process and repeating the steps mentioned above.  Try to time your bottle-feeding sessions so that the calf is still hungry when you are working with the pair.  Hopefully within the first few days you will already see improvement.  Once the mother has accepted the new calf, you have successfully grafted and are usually free to turn the happy pair out to the rest of the herd.

The post Grafting an Orphan Calf to a Surrogate Mother appeared first on Homestead.org.

What is Aquaponics and How Does it Work?

Aquaponics is the cultivation of crops and fish in a controlled recirculating environment. In aquaponics, fish are kept in fish tanks while the plants are grown hydroponically (without soil). Fish wastes provide the nutrients needed by the plants to thrive in the system.

They pump the water from the fish tank into the grow bed or grow pipes. Plant roots absorb the nutrients in the water, and in return, plant roots clean the water before flowing back to the fish tank, where the cycle will begin again.

Why is Aquaponics the Best Gardening Method for Homesteading?

Aquaponics is well-suited to homesteading because it is a recirculating agricultural system that can be built indoors, in a greenhouse, or in your backyard. Whatever your gardening needs, there are several types of aquaponics systems you can choose from.

Aquaponics is a budget-friendly investment that is popular with DIYers who like using recyclable food-grade materials. This gardening method also allows aquaponics growers to use solar panels for an independent off-the-grid aquaponics system.

Here are some reasons why aquaponics is one of the best gardening methods for homesteading:

• Aquaponics will meet your dietary needs. The fish and plants will fulfill your needs while embracing a healthy lifestyle.
• Aquaponics does not use harmful chemicals and pesticides because it might harm the fish in the system.
• There is no waste in aquaponics. Decayed organisms and other debris are recycled back to the system.
• Aquaponics uses 90% less water than traditional gardening.
• With aquaponics, you can grow food all year round.
• Plants grown in aquaponics grow three times faster than other gardening methods, allowing you to preserve more of your harvests.
• An aquaponics system is cost-effective and may provide you an additional source of income in the long run.
• Knowing you’re providing healthy and organic food to your family through a sustainable gardening method will give you personal satisfaction.

Types of Aquaponics System Designs

These are the most commonly used types of aquaponics designs for home growers:

Media Filled Bed

Media-filled beds are the simplest type of aquaponics design. In this system, the containers are filled with growing media (expanded clay or similar) into which the plants are planted. The water from the fish tank is then pumped, or flows via gravity, into the grow bed so that plants can absorb the nutrients. The grow media also serves as a filter to clean the water before it flows back to the fish tank. This system can be run either by a continuous flow of water over the growing media or by flooding and draining the grow bed using a siphon. Examples of media-filled beds are IBC tote and barrel aquaponics systems.

Nutrient Film Technique

The fish tank’s nutrient-rich water is pumped through the PVC pipes in a thin film in this system. The pipes have holes cut on the top in which the plants are grown by using small plastic cups to allow their roots to dangle in the flowing water at the bottom.

The roots then absorb the nutrients and purify the water, and since their roots are only submerged partially, it allows aeration as well. The clean water is pumped back into the fish tank. NFT is only suitable for growing plants and herbs that have a smaller root system.

Raft System

Also known as Deep Water Culture (DWC), the raft system uses a raft (polystyrene) to grow plants. These rafts float on top of the fish tanks or long channels. The rafts have well-placed holes in which plants are grown in net pots. This method is often used in large commercial aquaponics systems.

Hybrid Aquaponics System

The hybrid system combines the two or three main types of aquaponics designs into one system. The combination of a raft system and the media-filled bed aquaponics system is often used in this method.

The Necessary Components of an Aquaponics System

Main Components

1. Fish

A variety of fish grows well in an aquaponics system. For the success of your aquaponics system, choose fish that is easy to grow and disease resistant. You can select between ornamental fish or fish that you can use for food. Ornamental fish are koi and goldfish, while food varieties are tilapia, catfish, bass, and bluegill.

2. Plants

Growing plants for food is the main goal of an aquaponics system, so you must choose the right plants. Remember that you need to avoid planting nutrient-hungry plants like tomatoes, peppers, and other fruit-bearing plants until your system is fully established. Leafy greens, lettuce, and herbs are great for a new aquaponics system. You add nutrient-hungry plants to your garden later, when the system is fully established.

3. Bacteria

Bacteria convert fish waste into nutrients absorbed by the plants. Make sure that your system has enough surface area for the bacteria to grow.

Secondary Components

1. Fish Tank

The fish tank is an essential component of an aquaponics system as it serves as the home to your fish. Fish require specific conditions to survive and thrive, so you must choose your fish tank wisely. A round fish tank is recommended because it allows the water to circulate uniformly and transports solid wastes to the tank’s center through centripetal force.

2. Grow Bed

The grow beds are another important component of an aquaponics system. The grow beds will hold your plants and the water they need to grow healthy. Depending on your choice of aquaponics system designs, your grow bed can be PVC pipes, a floating raft, or a media bed.

3. Grow Media

Grow media is used to give support to the plants in the grow bed. It also acts as the place for the beneficial bacteria to colonize and convert ammonia into nitrates. The most common growing media used are clay pebbles, lava rock, and expanded shale.

4. Pipes

Pipes are needed to move the water from the fish tank to the grow bed. The recommended pipes to use in an aquaponics system are PVC pipes.

5. Water Pump

The water pump carries the nutrient-rich water from the fish tank to the plants. So choosing the right pump for your system size is important to get the performance that you want. For smaller systems, a submersible pump can work well. The submersible pump sits in the fish tank and works to pump water to the grow bed, creating turbulence, which helps increase the dissolved oxygen in the water.

6. Water Test Kits

Water test kits are essential for aquaponics systems to test the following water parameters: pH level, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. Too much ammonia and too high a pH level in the water can harm the fish in your fish tank, so you must monitor and control the ammonia and pH levels in your system.

Getting Started with an Aquaponics System

Interested in setting up a sustainable aquaponics garden now? Here are a few things to keep in mind if you decide to build an aquaponics system in your homestead:

• It is better to DIY your aquaponics system than buy a pre-made system. DIY aquaponics is easier than you think, although you need to purchase a checklist of materials such as a fish tank and pump. You might also use flow meters in your system. What’s excellent with DIYing your system is you can use recycled materials to lower your startup cost. If you’re a beginner in aquaponics and want to DIY your system, don’t worry, there are many free online resources available.
• You must cycle your new system first to establish the beneficial bacteria. Depending on your method of cycling, it can take several days. So you have to be patient and do regular water tests to check your pH, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates levels.
• Climate has a significant impact on the success of your aquaponics system. Aquaponics thrive in warmer climates, so if you live in a colder climate, you may have to set up your system indoors or use a greenhouse to grow food all year round.
• Choose plants and fish that are suitable for your location and climate.
• Have fun with your aquaponics system. Aquaponics is an interesting way to grow your food. Get the entire family involved so that you’ll all learn and appreciate the benefits of having a sustainable garden in your homestead.

Where to Set Up The Aquaponics System in Your Homestead?

One question you need to address in setting up your system is; where to put your tank and grow beds? The best location to set up your aquaponics system is in any south-facing space or a place with access to at least six hours of sunlight, near to a water and electrical source, and easily accessible. If you have a large space available in your homestead, it is best to use a greenhouse because it allows you to control the temperature inside, and your plants and fish are safe from any intruders.

However, if you live in the city and do not have large space available but want to try homesteading, you can use your basement, garage, or any space inside the house to set up your aquaponics system. Also, invest in a good-quality grow light since sunlight and heat are essential for both fish and plants.

Conclusion

Homesteading is not a piece of cake, but having a sustainable aquaponics system that can produce both fish and vegetables will make it easier. A mature aquaponics system can grow a lot of food very quickly, making it the best gardening method for homesteads. Having a sustainable way of growing your own food will allow you to live a self-sufficient lifestyle. All it takes is proper planning and effort.

The post Aquaponics: Why It’s the Best Gardening Method for Homesteading appeared first on Homestead.org.

This textbook scenario is the very reason many chickenkeepers give up on a flock of cuddly pet chickens and settle for the usual transactional relationship: food and lodging in exchange for eggs.If this is your experience, I’m here to assure you that it is perfectly possible to transform a standoffish flock into a highly friendly one.

Even if you have no desire for pet chickens, but are a homestead reliant on chickens to sustain your family, it cannot be overstated how valuable it is to have a flock that trusts you.

In the event of injury or illness in the flock, or the need to sell or relocate a chicken, your own sanity and the chicken’s frayed nerves will benefit from a little trust.

Forging a bond with your flock at the chick stage could not be simpler. Like any relationship, you’ll be investing time.

Sit with them in a contained play area where they are free to explore and grow accustomed to your presence.

Pick them up periodically throughout the day. Do so gently, never squeezing or making them feel restricted. If they are distressed, open your hands and allow them to hop out.

Keep your hand firm enough not to drop them, but loose enough that they do not feel you are restraining them. You may want to allow them to stand in your hand and shelter them with the other. This is a good way to not only show the chick that she is safe and in control, but you also begin truly stepping into the role of the mother hen.

If the chicks were to be raised by a hen, the hen would be the place of safety from any dangers and cold. They would gather under her wings, knowing they are completely safe.

By gently placing your hand over them, like a mother’s wing, you are telling them, “I am a safe place”.

This is, of course, the easy part.

But what happens when your flock becomes a group of hormonal teenagers, and they are upgraded to new living arrangements, where they so much enjoy their freedom that they forget all about the lovely bond you so carefully cultivated, only for them to never call or write, and for all intents and purposes, you cease to exist in their lives?

Joking aside, moving house is stressful. And stressed-out chickens will restructure the pecking order in the interest of survival. This usually results in editing out of the ranks the loving chickenkeeper who did not move house with them.

But this does not mean that all of your efforts were in vain. They have not forgotten you, nor your bond. Chickens are highly intelligent and scientifically evidenced to be empathetic and capable of love.

But they will need to be reassured that you are the same place of safety and you aren’t abandoning them.

The day after you move them into the coop, do not become discouraged with their suddenly sittish or aloof behavior. Resist the urge to chase after them. This will be seen as aggressive and result in a knee-jerk flight response.

Chickens are prey animals, so it is vitally important that they feel safe and in control. View it from their perspective.

The ancestors of our backyard flocks grew up in harsh jungle environments with no shelter and very little defense against every creeping thing in the shade of the trees that had the taste for chicken.

Even now, there are many dangers for the backyard flock. While the lucky chickens of Hawaii may have very little to worry about, the dangers in my area include owls, hawks, eagles, weasels, coyotes, neighborhood dogs, foxes, raccoons, possums, skunks, and bears.

They have every reason to lead with mistrust. They can’t afford not to be scanning for danger.

But that makes you especially valuable to them. You can be their safe place. You can be the trusted protector that they rely on.

The key to showing them that you are not out to harm them is to establish yourself as a non-aggressive mainstay of their environment, and avoid any behaviors that their predators would do, such as chasing and squeezing them.

If you need to quickly gather up your chickens, do not chase them, and keep your emotions even. If you are stressed, they will be too.

The following information is applicable regardless of whether the birds you are hoping to establish a friendly relationship with are hormonal pullets you raised or full-grown chickens that you have adopted.

Spend time in the run with them, or in the yard where they free range. Be a safe, calm fixture in their environment.

Rather than simply throwing their chicken feed to them, maybe strew some enticing snacks around where you are sitting. Chickens are highly food-motivated, so they will probably be willing to get closer to you, but don’t interact with them at first.

Show them that you are safe and you are not out to eat them. Over time, the boldest of the birds will likely dare to jump into your lap. And once one has broken the ice, the queens of FOMO that chickens are, the others will follow. Just give it time.

Especially skittish birds may require more time to decide you are safe. This is okay, give them time. Give them patience. Bonds are not formed in an instant.

Pick your chickens up periodically over time. If a hen does not feel she is held securely, she may squirm. Try holding her in a different way that makes her feel safe and secure. If a hen is reluctant to be picked up, what you learned about holding baby chicks applies to grown hens. Allow her to stand in your lap and hold her with a relaxed grip that she understands she has the full ability to leave if she chooses. Over time, your flock will be running up to you, not just for treats, but for hugs.

That is all to say, the secret to cuddly chickens is, unsurprisingly, trust. Trust: the cornerstone of any healthy relationship.

With that in mind, even if your strategy for establishing it differs, you can reach a great bond with your flock. Remember to consider how a chicken would view your behaviors and be patient with them as they weigh you against their instinctual scrutiny.

Chickens are, in my mind, some of the finest pets available, and I firmly believe that everyone, everywhere should be able to keep chickens, and maybe someday, it could be a reality. Whether you want to keep chickens for your homesteading needs or you just want a delightful flock of birds for pets, chickens are up for the task.

The post The Secret to Cuddly Chickens appeared first on Homestead.org.

Because they do not need much space they are a perfect opportunity for urban homesteaders. Cages can be kept in the garage or in the backyard. The small space you are working with will require extra attention to cleanliness. Cages will need to be cleaned daily and sanitized weekly. Apartment homesteaders will be limited to the space on their porch or balcony, but they can also enjoy the many benefits of raising rabbits.

Homesteads with small children are the perfect place for rabbits. Rabbits are gentle if handled regularly and most rabbit husbandry chores can be performed by children. If they are too small to complete the chore on their own, they certainly can assist.

Before you purchase your rabbits you need to be clear on what you plan to do with them. Although there are breeds that crossover, there are specific rabbit breeds for meat and fiber, as well as show breeds.

Meat Rabbit Breeds

The best meat breeds are New Zealand White, Giant Chinchillas, Californians, and Champagne D’Argent. New Zealand Whites reach an average market weight of 10 pounds and they are known for the high quality of their meat. Giant Chinchillas reach a market weight of 12 pounds and their meat is rated excellent. They are a crossover breed, prized for their pelts as well as their meat. Californians are also rated excellent, as are Champagne D’Argent, who are also raised for their fur.

You can get creative with the type of shelter you provide as you meet three requirements. First, the hutch should be easy to clean. Second, the shelter should receive plenty of air flow. Finally, provide ¾ square foot per pound of rabbit (mature weight).

Wood hutches are fine but do not last as long as wire cages. Rabbits will chew on the wood and the constant urine causes the wood to decompose fairly quickly. Wire hutches with a pull-out tray make stacking and cleaning easier. Cages should be located in a shady area that receives plenty of air circulation.

In addition to shelter cages, a rabbit tractor or movable pen is advisable. Allowing rabbits to pasture-feed decreases food costs, allows rabbits to act more like rabbits, and provides tastier, more nutritious meat. Your rabbit run needs to keep rabbits in and predators out. It also needs to be in an area that has plenty of shade.

Feed rabbits their portion of commercial feed in late afternoon or early evening. Make certain your rabbits have access to salt and fresh water every day. Urban homesteaders will find themselves more reliant on commercial feed since their access to pasture is limited.

One of the benefits of raising rabbits is they are prolific breeders. You will never be without rabbits unless you take steps to stop breeding them. Medium and large rabbit breeds are ready to breed at just six months of age. Giant breeds are not ready to breed until they are a year old.

Once your rabbits reach the appropriate age for breeding, take the doe to the buck’s cage. The doe is very territorial and will defend her territory instead of breeding if you take the buck to her cage. If mating doesn’t happen after 10 minutes, return the doe to her cage and try again the following day.

After mating occurs, return her to her hutch. Fill out the hutch card, including when the doe should kindle. The gestation period is 28-35 days, usually occurring on day 31. You can breed the same doe every 90 days.

Once the doe approaches her kindling date, place a nesting box in her cage. Fill the box with hay or other nesting material and keep the doe in her personal cage instead of allowing her to go out to pasture. Slightly increase the amount of food you offer her until you notice she isn’t eating very much. That is a sign she is soon to go into labor. Provide constant access to fresh water.

Meat rabbits can be harvested as fryers at three months of age, weighing between 1 ½ – 3 ½ pounds. Roasters are older rabbits, harvested at 8 months of age. When harvesting your rabbits keep the pelts as whole as possible. Tanning rabbit hides is a relatively simple process and can double the profit made from each rabbit.

Raise Fiber Rabbits

If you want to raise rabbits but do not want to harvest them for meat, you can raise fiber rabbits. Natural fibers are very popular and can make you a handsome profit without harming your rabbits. You can sell the wool as is, washed, carded or spun. The more value you add to the fiber, the more profit you will see.

The four popular fiber breeds are English Angora, French Angora, Giant Angora, and Satin Angora. The English Angora is a small breed, weighing between 5-7.5 pounds. The wool is extremely soft and it can be white or colored. The French Angora rabbits are slightly larger, weighing between 7-10 pounds. Their wool is slightly coarser than the wool of English Angoras, but still very desirable. The Giant Angora is a 9-10 pound rabbit with white fiber. The fiber on the Satin Angora is white or colored and has a beautiful sheen.
Angora wool is obtained by pulling the loose hair from the mature coat. It does not hurt the rabbit.

Although rabbit farming is relatively simple, there are seasonal chores that must be done in addition to the daily care you give your rabbits.

Winter is when you need to increase their caloric intake. They need it to keep themselves warm. Make sure their water does not freeze. Rabbits will refuse to eat if they do not have access to drinking water. Add extra straw to their bedding. If you live in an area that experiences freezes, stop breeding the rabbits. If you do not experience freezes and you want to continue breeding, provide an artificial light source.

In early spring, check and repair the rabbit tractor or rabbit runs before you send them out to pasture. Make any repairs on their overnight cage shelters.

Summer is the most important time to make sure your rabbits have constant access to shade and cool water. Source your hay for the winter and breed does for the final kindling of the year.

Autumn is the time to repair or replace any equipment before winter arrives. Plant your clover and perennial rye plots. Winterize the rabbit housing and make sure your records up to date.

When it comes to making money from your rabbits it is never too early to start marketing. Begin talking to customers, both in person and online, to gauge their interest. For a niche product such as rabbit it is a good idea to set up a Facebook page and target your local market. Diversify your product offerings as much as possible and be specific in your advertising.

Your best markets for processed rabbit are private chefs and local, high-end restaurants. You can also add rabbit as an option in your CSA packages. You are more than likely prohibited from selling processed rabbit at the farmers market, but you can advertise and direct your customers to come to your farm to pick up their order. The price of a dressed rabbit starts at $10.00.

Harvesting rabbits for meat automatically provides you with two more products. If you have kept the pelts intact, tan them and sell them at craft fairs, Pow-wows, and Renaissance fairs. You can sell the pelts as is or make your own blanket, fur-lined mittens, or other value-added items. A tanned pelt costs $10.00. This doubles the profit from one meat rabbit.

If you remove the bones when processing meat rabbits, wash and dry them. When the bones are completely dried out grind them into bone meal and sell to gardeners.

Gardeners will also line up to purchase rabbit manure. It is an excellent fertilizer that can be put directly in the garden without any chance of burning the plants.

If you are operating a no-kill rabbit farm you can sell breeding trios – one male and two females. Add value by building and selling rabbit hutches with your trios.

Angora wool is a high-priced commodity and an excellent option for the no-kill rabbit farm. Processed angora wool sells for up to $95.00 a pound. Whether you breed fiber rabbits or meat rabbits, hosting a hands-on workshop is another way to profit from your rabbits. Remember, someone wants to know what you know.

Small-scale rabbit farming is a relatively simple process that has remarkable income potential. Start small and increase the size of your warren as you grow more confident.

Pick the Perfect Poultry for Your Homestead: A Beginner’s Guide

The post Small-Scale Rabbit Farming appeared first on Homestead.org.

Anyone who finds themselves living in the country for more than a few days will discover this statement to be true.  In nature, as witnessed by living close to it, there’s a right—or optimal, at least—time for every task or adventure.  A time to plant and harvest crops, or to trim trees, to dig ponds, to pick mushrooms, or to go fishing.  Likewise, spend any amount of time outdoors, and you’ll realize there are seasons of the year or hours of the day when animals are more active than other times.

For instance, spring is the time to watch for wild turkeys because the North American wild turkey mates in early spring.  Most of the year, turkeys are elusive and tend to hang out with their own sub-groups.  Mature males (called gobblers or Toms) tend to hang with other males, while females (known as hens) can often be found keeping with other females and any young.  Immature males (called jakes) move in groups with their other immature buddies.  But for a few weeks each year—starting in about early April and running through mid-May—both males and females can be heard and seen calling, strutting, and posturing for the attention of the opposite sex.  It’s a great time to peer into the world of an animal often all but unseen the rest of the year.

The North American Wild Turkey is a close relative of the species of domestic turkey often seen picking and strutting around rural homesteads.  Oftentimes, domestic birds are white and grow quite large.  Wild turkeys are usually dark in color, covered in dark brown or black feathers that sometimes have a copper glisten in the sunlight.  The coloration works amazingly well at letting the big birds blend almost mystically into their surroundings and slip away undetected.  Anyone who spends a lot of time in the woods has likely seen anywhere from one to a half-dozen mature birds seemingly appear out of nowhere as they catch a glimpse of movement and look closer to find a small number of birds spreading out and working their way across a hillside or up an old abandoned roadway.  Also, you can be watching those birds and look away for a moment, or blink, and then look back and, if the birds have stopped to pick a bug or seed, they’ll seem to have melted into the backdrop —until they begin to walk again.

Gobblers will usually have a reddish colored neck and head.   They’ll also often have red “wattles”, dangling folds of skin that protrude from just beneath the beak and down the front of the upper neck.  In honesty, if you envisioned “magnificent” or “majestic”, well, a wild turkey probably wouldn’t come to mind.

Depending on where you live, but especially in the eastern half of the United States, you can spot small to large flocks of wild turkeys picking bugs and seeds in fields and wooded field edges throughout the year.  Odds are that what you’ll see most often will be hens with their young, or sometimes small flocks of jakes.  Human teenagers tend to hang out in groups… and the same holds true for teenager turkeys.  A lot of wild animals feed twice a day, just after sunup and just before sunset.  That’s when you’re most likely to see these groups of hens or jakes wander out of the woods and into fields.

Turkeys usually feed as they meander along, picking and stopping to look around.  While they can fly short distances, their best defense is staying alert.  Sometimes birds will find an area where the grass is sparse—often a tractor lane around a field edge—and squat down to rest their underside in the dirt and flap their wings, pitching dust up onto their backs.  The dusting helps keep down annoying bugs while also providing a cooling effect.

Okay, we’ve established that spring turkeys are unique birds to watch in the first part of the year, but not only are they more visible now, but they’re more vocal as well.  Much of the year, you might spot a few birds feeding in a field or sneaking through the woods, but you’ll rarely hear anything from them; that’s not the case in the springtime.

Turkeys have their own language.  They gobble and cluck; cutt and purr; putt and cackle; even kee-kee and whine on occasion.  While I’m not some kind of turkey whisperer, I know that centuries of observation and decades of dedicated research have revealed a little about what some of those vocalizations mean.  With spring turkeys, it’s usually all about love talk.  Here’s my best Dr. Joyce Brothers or Dr. Phil interpretation of what’s being said:

First, turkeys roost in trees at night.  When sunup comes, they awake and start looking for the first mate of the day.  A male will stretch its ol’ neck out and give a good hearty gobble.  The goal is to let the ladies (the hens) within hearing range know that the man of the woods is awake and ready for some action.  Ironically, an eager gobbler can be “triggered” into gobbling by the hoot of an owl, the bark of a dog, the gobbling of another male, or even the slamming of a truck door.  Turkey hunters will often use artificial calls, operated by the mouth or a rubber bellows, to help locate roosting gobblers during early morning hours.

Hens will make constant noise as they go about their daily life.  Listen closely, and you can hear them cluck and cackle.  Sometimes, while feeding, they’ll purr, kee-kee, or make a small whining noise.  When a male gobbles—which can be heard from a mile or more away—females in the neighborhood will often yelp in reply.  This is yet another kind of locator call.  As with humans, the males tend to do most of the pursuing of the opposite sex.  Willing females will yelp to let the eager man know they’re willing to “hook up”, but it’s up to him to close the gap and seal the deal.

So, the male will hear the female’s reply and often set out in her direction.  As said before, the sounds of turkeys can carry for hundreds of yards or more.  If the male hasn’t already flown down from the roost, which can create an impressive racket on its own, he’ll quickly pick out a flight path and find his way to the ground.  Likely, he’ll gobble again, just to make sure he’s still connected and can hone in on his new girlfriend now that he’s firmly on terra firma.  She’ll usually reply with more yelps.  Over the next few minutes, which can seem like an eternity to the casual bystander, the gobbler (sometimes accompanied by a friend or two, or a small team of jakes eager to get in the game) will work his way toward the gentle replies of the female.

This is where hunters, and even photographers, gain a strategic advantage in the spring.  The goal is to be able to sound like a love-starved female bird and be able to draw a male to within range of rifle or camera.  The same actions that make turkeys easy prey can make them entertaining to observe.

Now, this is where the real dance begins; for me, the show starts from the vantage point out the kitchen window or from the lawn chair in the backyard.  When the gobbler closes the gap of 50 yards or so he’ll sometimes begin calling more aggressively.  As the female all but ignores him completely, the big fellow will start to try getting her attention in other ways.  One tactic is to utilize an air sack in his chest to make a spitting noise by quickly expelling air in a quick burst.  Or maybe he will make a low-pitched drawn-out growl, called “drumming”.  At the same time, he’ll tense up, tuck his head and neck back into his chest, and plump up his body feathers.  He’ll fan out his tail feathers in a display that makes him look much larger and more impressive.

The big bird will strut around in half circles and back and forth, drumming and spitting in an effort to show his dominance and need for attention.  Sometimes he’ll break out of the strut and stretch his neck out and stick his head way ahead of his body and let go with a big, “Goobbbllllleeeee”.  Then he’ll return to his strut position and go back to drumming, spitting, and doing the dance.  As long as the intended female stays attentive, he’ll eventually ease his way closer until he jumps on for some action.  The whole scene can get pretty graphic for the first-time witness.

A little earlier we talked about the looks of the gobblers versus hens.  Young males will also look different than either mature males or females.   The loose, wrinkly flesh on a male’s head and neck can range anywhere from blue in color to blood red depending on his mood and temperament at the moment.  He also has a fleshy flap of skin that protrudes above his beak called a “snood”.  When the big guy gets worked up—angry or otherwise—the snood, and other fleshy wads of skin called “caruncles”, can fill with blood and change colors.  He has a couple other characteristics that tend to identify him as a man.  Males usually grow beards from their upper chest.  Juvenile birds will have shorter beards, while old males may have as many as three going at a time.

Another way to identify a mature gobbler from a jake is the tail feathers.  A youngster will have longer tail feathers showing when he fans them out to strut, and the feathers on either side of the fan may not extend to a point parallel to the ground or beyond.  Mature males will have a full tail fan of feathers of nearly equal length—a sure sign of maturity.  One more thing: while all turkeys have three long toes extending forward and a short one facing to the rear, males will also have a fifth growth extending from the back of each leg.  These “spurs” aid if fighting, and their length, along with the length of the beard, are bragging rights for hunters who harvest wild birds for dinner.

As with most creatures, there are occasional anomalies.  Like you might find at a circus sideshow, in the turkey world, there’ll be the occasional bearded lady.  In some sub-species of the birds as many as 20 to 25 percent of females will sport beards.  And occasionally a female will make “gobble” calls, and males will “cutt” and “purr”.

Wild turkeys can range upward of 30 pounds, but in most areas of the Midwest and southern United States a 25-plus-pound gobbler is considered a great bird.  Hens will run smaller, generally, and jakes will put on mass as they mature to “gobbler” status.  All turkeys are capable of flight, but usually in short bursts.  Limiting air travel to a couple tenths of a mile at a time, at most, the awkward-looking birds can reach speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour.  Most of the time, they’ll only fly while moving from the ground to a tree limb and back for roosting at night.

Do you think you have turkeys roosting on your property but can’t get close enough to check them out?  Look beneath the tree canopy for turkey manure.  Large, long droppings that are white, brown, or black in color indicate turkeys are using the trees overnight.  If some of those droppings are shaped like the letter “J”, then you have proof you have at least one male in the crowd.

And what are those birds eating as they pick their way through the back-40 acres?  Most likely, they’re foraging for seeds, berries, insects, or worms.  They’ll also enjoy the occasional small lizard or snake.  In the woods, they often munch on acorns, hickory nuts, berries, pinyon pine nuts, and other hard mast.  Sometimes they even eat grass.  Talk about a varied diet.

The list of enemies for wild turkeys is long.  Most adult birds fall prey to coyotes, domestic dogs, foxes, or large cats (bobcats, cougars, et cetera).  Young birds and eggs are dining fodder for everything from snakes to rodents to raccoons and opossums.   From the air, they must be on guard against owls and eagles.   On the ground the list also includes skunks, groundhogs, and… humans.  Hunters account for a small percentage of life lost; the most decline comes from humans encroaching on good nesting and ranging habitat.   That doesn’t mean humans and turkeys can’t share the country life.  They’ve cohabitated for all of history, and watching birds come up into the yard to feed is great entertainment, especially this time of year.

The post Spring Turkeys appeared first on Homestead.org.

Learning to coexist with the natives of nature can often be one of the more rewarding parts of rural living.  An early summer morning with that first cup of coffee out on the porch can become a concert when turkey gobblers begin sounding off from their perches in trees where they roosted overnight.  Nothing on the television can compare to watching out the window on a snowy winter day as a wily fox makes his way along the fencerow in search of an unsuspecting rabbit or rodent.  And who doesn’t like watching deer feeding in clearings just before dark?

But surrounding yourself with entertaining nature doesn’t necessarily happen automatically.  When humans make inroads into rural areas they can often nudge wildlife along deeper into the woods or to the next ridge or valley over.  But there are simple things a rural landowner can do to encourage wild animals to stay close and to even attract wildlife to your property.  Just as city dwellers will build bird-feeding “shrines”, squirrel perches or koi ponds to have a touch of nature close, living in and near nature the rural homesteader can plant wild animal food plots, create mineral licks, and build water sources to keep their wild neighbors within viewing range.

Just as a property owner wants to maintain healthy woodlots and streams, maintaining a healthy animal population is important as well.  Creating food, water, and mineral sources for wildlife is neither expensive nor exceptionally difficult.  First, it’s important to have a very basic understanding of how animals live and eat.  Then you simply choose the right locations on your property and set about creating some habitat enhancers.

Before you start it’s important to realize that, unlike suburban bird feeders, food and water sources for larger animals will not be located in your yard.  In fact, they can be a hundred yards or more from your house or outbuildings.  Animals such as turkey, deer, foxes, and smaller game will range a couple miles or more.  Still, providing food and water sources will help hold more animals on your land, which equals more viewing opportunities.

Understanding the Animals

The goal is to attract wildlife to your property.  There are a few basic steps you can take which will benefit a wide assortment of creatures.  For instance, having deer passing through or living on your land will mean they’ll leave behind antlers each winter when the bucks shed their headgear.  Discarded antlers contain calcium, which will be eaten by squirrels and other small creatures for the mineral content.  Minerals found in man-made mineral licks you place on your property will be utilized by deer to grow larger and stronger bone and antlers, and by turkeys to develop stronger eggshells and healthier poults.  More wild turkey, quail, and other poults of ground-nesting birds will mean necessary food for foxes.  Plants grown in small food plots will increase the rabbit population, which will also benefit foxes relying on rodents and other small furbearers for food.

For years we’ve maintained food plots and mineral licks throughout our farm.  Periodically throughout the year, we set up a game camera—a weatherproof digital camera triggered by movement—near the food plots to see what is stirring.  It’s common to capture snapshots of any combination of songbirds, hawks, crows, quail, squirrels, opossums, rabbits, raccoons, foxes, turkeys, and deer feeding together at the same time from the same feeder, plantings, or mineral lick.  To keep it simple, the best bet is to stock feeders or plant greenery, which will benefit a variety of animals.  Likewise, all animals can benefit from a year-round water source.

Turkeys breed around March or April and lay a clutch of eggs that will hatch in about 28 days.  Deer will mate in the fall and, following a 180 to 200 day gestation period, will give birth in May or June.  Squirrels and many other small furbearers mate in late winter or early spring and give birth a month or two later.  All animals can benefit from proper nutrition both during the gestation cycle and when raising newborns.

Spring and early summer can be considered the most critical time for deer.  It’s during these months that bucks are sprouting and growing new antlers.  Unlike cattle, which grow horns and keep the same set for a lifetime, antlered deer grow a new set of headgear each summer and shed the antlers in mid-winter.  Think about growing a new set of arms or legs and how that might tax your body.  Growing two sizable antlers in a matter of months can require lots of extra nutrition and minerals.  At the same time, female deer, or does, impregnated in November or December will be completing their gestation period.  If growing new antlers can rob you of nutrition, try growing an entirely new animal … or maybe even twins or triplets.  And bucks can lose up to 25 percent of their body mass between January and April.

Where and How to Attract Wildlife to Your Property

I manage my family’s hunting property.  It consists of 78 acres that were once my grandfather’s working cattle and hay farm in the Missouri Ozarks.  At his passing a dozen years ago, the property had about 50 acres of fields and 28 acres of woodlots.  We cut and sell about 30 acres of hay each year now, with the rest rapidly diverting back to woods.  I started off by putting up some homemade grain feeders.  These are simple and cheap to make, and I’ll give the directions for making one a little later.  The feeders, which cost about $5 to $8 a piece to make, can benefit a wide variety of animals.  They are attached to a tree using wire, twine, or a bungee cord, and can be installed and removed with no damage to the tree.

My next move was to plant two food plots several years ago.  Now I’m working on a couple more.  With each food plot, I create I also start a mineral lick nearby.  A mineral lick is every bit as important as a food plot, and I’ll explain why shortly.  When choosing a site for a feeder, food plot, or mineral lick, I make sure my habitat enhancers are located near established travel lanes and plenty of escape cover. This makes the animal feel safer when dining at your food stop.  If you’ve lived on or visited your property very much, chances are you’ve seen animals coming and going. Look closer and you’ll find travel paths that often lead between feeding and bedding areas. A water source nearby is a definite plus, and one can be created for cheap.

Make a Homemade Wildlife Feeder to Attract Wildlife to Your Property

The simplest way to help feed wild animals is with homemade feeders.  A basic wildlife feeder can be made with plastic sewer pipe and fittings from the nearest hardware store or lumber yard.  It requires only a handsaw or some type of sharp utility knife.  Gluing the pieces together is optional but suggested.  Painting the feeder will help it blend into the surroundings, but the animals really don’t seem to care if you leave it white as it comes from the store.

You’ll use this type of wildlife feeder to distribute whole, cracked or crimped corn, chicken scratch, oats, birdseed, or a combination of feeds.  I tend to use a mixture of cracked corn and oats.  Birds tend to prefer the cracked corn, and if you use whole corn kernels the squirrels will simply gnaw a hole into a kernel and eat the meat out of the seed anyway.

To make a feeder you’ll need a four-foot piece of thin- or thick-walled PVC (plastic) sewer or water line.  I prefer a thin-walled pipe that holds up for 10 years or so before becoming brittle from sunlight and the elements.  You’ll also need two end caps for the pipe, and a 45-degree three-way slip fit joint.  The easiest way is to purchase an 8-foot piece of pipe, four end caps, and two 45-degree joints—which makes two feeders.  It’s as easy to make two at a time as it is to make one.  Doing so will only take about 15 to 30 minutes to complete.

Here’s how! Cut the pipe to a four-foot length.  Now cut off a four- to six-inch piece of the pipe and set it aside.  On one end of the longer piece of pipe glue the 45-degree joint on with the straight run in line with the pipe and the 45 degree opening pitched back toward the length of pipe.  Next insert the short piece of pipe into the opposite opening of the straight run.  This creates a sleeve on which to glue one of the end caps, which will be the base of your feeder.    The second cap will not be glued in place, but will serve as a removable lid for the feeder.   It’s that simple.  If you choose to paint the feeder now is the time.  If so, paint the lid as well, but don’t put the lid on while the paint is wet, or it will stick in place.

To use the feeder all you have to do is attach it in an upright position to a tree or fence post (using wire, twine or a bungee strap) near an existing animal trail or area where you wish to view wildlife.  Remove the cap and fill the length of the tube with feed.  A four-foot long feeder will hold about 25 pounds of grain.  When you fill the tube a small amount will spill out of the 45-degree opening, but don’t worry about it because it’s normal.  During use squirrels and other animals will drag out a little feed onto the ground, but turkeys and other birds will quickly clean it up.  Replace the lid cap to keep the grain in the feeder dry.  When I first install a new feeder I’ll also scatter a few handfuls of grain around the feeder to initially attract animals.  I have as many as a dozen homemade feeders in place on our farm throughout the year.

Here’s an important note: Some states prohibit feeding, or “baiting”, turkeys or deer during hunting seasons.  If you or anyone else intends to hunt on or near your property you might want to brush up on the laws of your state to assure there’s no misunderstanding about your intention to feed wildlife.  In our case our land is used for hunting, so we remove all supplemental feeders several weeks prior to hunting season.  The brief interruption in feeding doesn’t seem to deter the animals from returning once the feeders are back in place.

The next step up is to plant small “plots” of grains and greens to be used by wildlife.  These food plots can range from a few square yards to a quarter-acre or more each.  Here again, the goal is to grow plants that multiple animals will benefit from.  For example, a small patch of corn will be visited by raccoon, deer, squirrel, quail, and pheasant.  Sunflowers will attract songbirds, doves, and even deer.  Sorghum is popular with raccoon, deer, and other foragers.

If you really want your plantings to do well, make sure your soil is optimal. If you’ve never had your soil tested, or even if you have but it’s been a while, spring is a good time to take a soil sample to your local Soil Conservation office for a pH test.  If the test reveals a need for lime, spring is the ideal time to incorporate it.

The folks at the soil office can provide specifics based on the test results, but an ideal pH level for milo and many other food plot plants is about 6.5.  A rule of thumb is that it’ll take about a half-ton of crushed limestone to raise the pH on a quarter-acre plot by about a half of a point.  The limestone should be added to the soil and turned under if at all possible.  Either way, the lime needs to be added prior to seeding, or spring growth for existing plants.  If you wish to fertilize a general suggestion would be a 12-12-12 mix of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.

If you’re starting a new food plot, or adding new seed, consider corn, soybeans, vetch, milo, sorghum, clover, alfalfa, or sunflowers—all good choices for supplemental spring and summer greens, beans and grains.  As for corn, I’ve planted everything from a garden variety “candy corn” to common field corn.  Just because your planting this spring and want to see some immediate results, don’t overlook planning ahead for the other seasons.  Some winter hardy choices include winter wheat, rye, and oats.

Sorghum offers some unique qualities of food plot seed.  Deer generally won’t eat the plant at all during the summer, but the seed heads are a delicacy during late summer or fall.  Since deer aren’t interested in the plant’s stem, it helps guarantee a crop planted in the spring that won’t be eaten when other options are available, and then will already be in place when fall arrives.  And it doesn’t require a lot of water.

Water for Wildlife

Having a water source near your food plots and mineral licks will only help draw and hold wildlife on your property.  Consider it “one-stop” shopping, and who doesn’t enjoy a refreshing drink after a meal.  Look at all the hoof prints around a woodlot pond and you’ll know what I’m talking about.  I’m fortunate that my grandfather put in several small ponds throughout his farm back in the mid-1900s.  All the ponds were dug using a drag scoop, sometimes called a slip scoop, pulled by a team of horses or one of his old Farmall tractors.  Two food plots on our land sit close to a spring-fed stream that flows little more than a trickle most of the year.  But a trickle is enough to keep a few puddles and bends of the little gravely creek filled with fresh water.

If you have a creek or stream nearby that’s ideal.  Digging or using an existing pond would be the next best option.  But unless you’re a farmer or own an earthmoving business, the cost of putting in ponds for animals which are not sold for income can be pretty expensive.  But don’t fret, because there are other options.  Consider hiring the work done by a local contractor or farmer with a backhoe, dozer, or skid steer.  If that doesn’t pan out, use galvanized farm stock tanks, or build your own water tank from an old heavy equipment tire.

Setting up a small galvanized or rubber stock tank is the simplest.  The main drawbacks are that galvanized tubs are metal and heat up quickly in direct sunlight or summer heat.  Stagnant water that gets hot can quickly turn slimy and undesirable.

Another option is using an old equipment tire to make a water tank.  Tractor tires work well, but combine or skidder tires hold a lot more water.  If you decide to go this route you’ll be sealing the bottom of the tire with one of three options—plastic sheeting, concrete, or bentonite.    The plastic is cheaper but has to be replaced periodically.  Concrete is more permanent but also more expensive (and you’ll likely be mixing bags by hand to do this relatively small job far away from the driveway or state road).  Bentonite—often used as a binding agent in sand casting, in model rocket parts manufacturing, and in winemaking to remove excessive proteins from white wine among other uses—is the third option.  Since this tank will likely be filled on occasion by dumping water in from a bucket or barrel for this use we’ll stay away from the Bentonite which can be washed away with a stream of water under pressure … such as being dumped from a height.

If you opt to go this route, here are the steps for a tire tank: First, cut out one sidewall of the tire.  A reciprocating saw works great for this and a chainsaw is another, albeit more dangerous, option.  Leave about six inches of sidewall from the tire lugs in toward the center.

If you’re using concrete to seal the bottom, go ahead and set the tank in a place where it will sit with the intact sidewall and bead down.  It works great to dig the tire partially into the ground.    The other option is to mound and pack dirt in around the base on the outside.  Next, fill the hole in the bottom with concrete.  Use a stick to push it up under the bottom sidewall and fill until the top level extends just above the bead of the tire.  Allow the concrete to dry for 24 hours or so, and the tank will be ready for use.

The other option is using a piece of plastic sheeting to line the bottom of the tire tub.  In this case, you’ll want a heavy plastic about twelve inches larger in diameter than the hole in the bottom of the tire.  First, fill the area within the bead of the tire with dirt to within about an inch of the bead.  Now scuff the bottom outer area of the plastic sheeting with a grinder to rough it up to help with adhesion.  Make sure the exposed inner portion of the bottom sidewall and bead are free of dirt and debris, then apply a layer of silicone adhesive or thick tar to the newly scuffed plastic and flip it over and press it in place.  Let it dry before filling the tire with water.  An extra step that helps is to screw the plastic sheeting to the tire’s sidewall with self-tapping, broad-headed screws every six inches or so.

A tire or stock tank holds far less water than even a small pond, but it’s still a way to get some water where it’s needed if digging a pond is not an option.

Supplemental Minerals for Wildlife

Growing antler, bone, and viable eggshells requires minerals.  Bucks with big headgear need lots of them.  It’s equally important for does to grow healthy fawns, or turkey and quail to have strong shells on eggs.  A weak shell can be crushed by the weight of the sitting hen and is more prone to damage by scavengers.  Investing in feeders, food plots, and water sources are great uses of your time and resources.  But the triangle needed to attract wildlife to your property is not complete with talking about supplemental minerals.  Animals will discover the minerals within a matter of days and it’ll become a regular stop on their travels in no time.

You can mix up your own mineral mixture using simple ingredients found at any farm and ranch or feed store.  Over the years I’ve seen lots of recipes for mineral lick mixtures and am relatively sure most of them are beneficial and in no way harmful.  But I was given one several years ago by a coworker that is simple, relatively inexpensive, and easy to mix and use.  It uses three ingredients: trace minerals, di-calcium phosphate, and common stock salt.

All the ingredients are readily available in 50-pound bags from your local animal feed store, and you’ll be using a ratio of 2-to-1 trace mineral compared to the other two ingredients.  That gives you 200 pounds of mineral mix, enough to establish two decent-sized licks and keep them “freshened up” for about two years.  The day I was writing this article I checked on prices with the feed store in town and the total cost for all three ingredients was $60, only a few dollars higher than my last visit several months ago.  That’s not bad for 200 pounds of antler and fawn-growing goodness.

Mix the ingredients only when you’re ready to use them.  Otherwise, keep the bags separate and stored in a dry place.  To start with you’ll be using about 25 pounds of mixed product per location.  Find a tub or barrel big enough to hold that much and allow for easy stirring to mix the goods together.  Now measure out about six pounds each of stock salt and di-calcium phosphate and 12 pounds of trace mineral.  If you don’t have a scale then use a discarded coffee can which already has the weight-by-volume amount worked out and marked on it.  Once enough of each ingredient is in the barrel or tub mix it thoroughly.

To create a lick you can dig a hole slightly larger than what would be necessary to hold the roughly 25 pounds of mix.  Remember, your goal here is to feed the deer and not the earthworms so keep that indention wide and shallow.  My mineral licks are about 10 to 15 yards away from the edge of my food plots and about 10 to 15 feet across.  With a hole dug, now stir in some of the soil you just removed and some of the mineral mix and stir it in the hole.  Add more soil and more minerals and stir it together until you have all the dirt and mix mounded up in the hole.

When the deer and other animals discover the lick and it won’t take too many days for them to start excavating the mineral-rich soil from the hole.  By then any rain showers will have dispersed the mineral into the surrounding ground as well.  The most used lick on our property is now about 20 feet across and nearly a foot deep in places.  Return to the lick in three or four months and freshen it up with about half as much mixture as you started it with—about 12 pounds.  Just broadcast the mixture into the hole and let nature takes its course.  Repeat the process every four months or so.

Whether it be making and installing simple feeders, planting a food plot, creating a water source, or establishing a mineral lick, the time and effort invested to attract wildlife to your property will have a direct effect on the wildlife population and, subsequently, the number and diversity of animals you’ll see on your property.  You’ll quickly discover that some of the most interesting new neighbors you’ll find in the country have four legs or feathers.

The post Attract Wildlife to Your Property appeared first on Homestead.org.

All domestic chickens are descended from their wild ancestor, the Red Jungle Fowl.  Breeding season for the Red Jungle Fowl usually occurs in the late winter or spring.   The Red Jungle Fowl will typically lay about a dozen eggs and will incubate them for 18 – 20 days.  Although domestic laying hens have been bred to produce an egg almost daily, it does not detract from their broodiness.  To the contrary, if a hen is allowed to lay a full clutch of about a dozen eggs, without having the eggs removed, she will usually decide to incubate them.  If a healthy, happy domestic hen is left to her own devices, she will typically lay three or four clutches of eggs a year and hatch all of the eggs.

Chicken owners should consider their birds’ natural wild instincts when it comes to egg laying.  A hen, like any other bird, will not be looking for a place to lay your breakfast… she will be looking for a suitable place to hatch her eggs.  She will leave each egg once laid because she will want to lay about a dozen before starting to incubate them.  This way all the chicks hatch on the same day.  It is, therefore, necessary to provide hens with suitable nests for hatching, even if you remove the eggs before they accumulate.  If the hen doesn’t think she has a safe, comfortable, private place to hatch her chicks, she simply won’t lay, or her laying may be sporadic and in different places. If left in the wild, a hen will choose a private, confined place on the ground to lay, such as beneath a big pile of brush.  Remember also that when a hen is laying, she is 100% vulnerable, even more so than at night when she can’t see.  A laying bird is the equivalent of a woman giving birth.  If a predator (which includes humans) tries to catch her while laying, she is helpless to flee.  For this reason, a hen will prefer to be completely obscured while laying.

Do not underestimate the intelligence of chickens.  Many people mistakenly believe chickens are stupid because they don’t fly or because they are cute and comical to watch.  Penguins share these traits and are accepted as an extremely intelligent animal with complex and intricate social behavior. It is true that through inbreeding, the IQ of many chickens has diminished.  Chickens that are allowed to inbreed can be observed as becoming more dependent on humans for their survival, less skilled at foraging for food, and less adept at flying into trees to roost.  Unless raised as pets, chickens should be energetic and feisty.  Bred properly, chickens are highly intelligent survivors.

Chickens are also cunning.  My hens are well aware that I expect them to lay eggs for my use, and indeed, that I will go searching for their eggs in likely hiding places if they don’t lay in the boxes I provide.  Some of my hens have been known to lay an egg in the laying-box every other day, as usual, only for me to discover that the same hen has been gathering eggs under a brush pile in the forest!  These hens have devised a carefully thought-out plan: they are broody, and they don’t want me to come searching for their hidden eggs, so they humor me by laying, alternately, an egg for me and an egg for their clutch.

Chickens also carry out complex social interactions.  They develop meaningful friendships and partnerships.  Many people think you put one rooster with five or six hens and there you have it.  A closer study will reveal that the hens establish a clear pecking order with one hen establishing herself as alpha hen, and the rooster’s “first wife,” so to speak.  If possible, she will roost beside him at night and will get first pickings of any tasty tidbit he finds while foraging.  Chickens have a sense of humor, they like to have fun, they fall in love, and they pine for lost ones.

I have a hen who gets a kick out of taunting the dog.  Everyday, Goldie hides in the collards beside the fenced-in dog run, waiting for the dog to come out.  When the dog comes to the fence to watch the chickens, Goldie leaps out of the bushes, and zooms to and fro along the fence while the dog chases her on the other side, barking with frustration. Her behavior is no different from that of a Dachshund which teases a Rottweiler through a fence because he knows it can’t catch him!  I have a three-month-old rooster whose life revolves around playing pranks on his younger brother and sister.  He’ll follow them around all day just so that when they take a nap, he can creep up and peck them before running off.

There are some truly monogamous partnerships between my chickens wherein a rooster abstains from mating any hen besides his chosen mate, and will fight voraciously to protect her from other roosters.  I’ve seen an alpha hen get broody and raise chicks, only to discover when the chicks are grown that another hen has taken her position beside the rooster.  I’ve watched her suffer and pine as she fights in vain to regain his love and attention, only to finally resign herself to the position of a subordinate.  I’ve seen my alpha rooster embrace certain new hens as part of his flock, and drive others away.  I’ve seen him fall in love with a beautiful frizzle hen, give her priority over all other hens, shelter and protect her, and when she died in a tragic accident, I watched him drive all the other chickens out of the coop that night so he could be alone to mourn.

Chickens are just as interesting and worthy of respect as any other breed of bird.  And when providing them with housing and nesting sites, careful attention needs to be paid to their preferences.  Just because they will accept poor quality when nothing else is offered, doesn’t mean they like it.  Hens ideally like a nest box that is made of natural wood, is just big enough for them to fit inside and turn around, and has wood shavings or similar bedding inside.  When facing the box, make sure it has an entrance to the side (i.e. off-center) so they cannot be seen while laying.  A hinged roof makes it easy to check for eggs in the evening.  Co-operate with your hens and they will try to please you.  And don’t forget, they are mothers too, so consider buying your eggs in the spring.

The post Hens Are Birds, Too appeared first on Homestead.org.

Another benefit of raising heritage turkeys on the homestead is you can choose the length of the project.  You can choose to purchase turkey poults every year, making this a short-term annual project or you can keep a tom and a few hens and let them hatch out poults for you.  If you want layers, you MUST keep a heritage breed.

Heritage turkey breeds are the only choice for you if you want to keep a flock of turkeys and hatch their eggs out each year.  Heritage breeds are able to mate naturally whereas the turkeys you buy at the supermarket, Broad-breasted White Turkeys, have so much breast meat they are unable to mate naturally.

If you want to breed heritage turkeys, keep one tom for every ten hens.  Turkey mating occurs in spring.  It takes 28-31 days for the fertilized eggs to hatch and 6-7 months for the poults to reach maturity.  Turkey poults cost $10 a bird so if you have the time and space for a few extra birds on your homestead, it makes economic sense to hatch out your own.

Blue slate turkeys, bourbon red turkeys, Narragansett turkeys, and black Spanish turkeys are excellent heritage breeds.  Young toms reach 23 pounds and the young hens reach 14 pounds.  The Royal Palm Turkey is a smaller heritage breed, with young toms reaching a weight of 16 pounds and the young hens reaching 10 pounds.

Spend some time in the winter, before your growing season gets busy, researching the breed of turkey that is best for you and your farm.  Put some feelers out in your area, and contact your best customers, in order to have an idea of the number of turkeys you will be able to sell. Continue creating a customer list by advertising at farmers markets, Facebook and other social media platforms, and word of mouth.

Turkey poults are extremely sensitive at the beginning of their life.  That is why you need to have a clean, secure brooder ready before you receive your poults.  Build your brooder in early spring before you become busy with spring and summer homesteading chores.

Order your poults in June.  Make sure you are ordering from a reputable hatchery and inquire about any guarantees when you order. Thoroughly check over your poults when they arrive and immediately place them in their brooder.

In addition to being secure and clean, make sure the brooder is warm.  Attach a 250-watt clamp-style lamp in order to keep their nest around 100 degrees Fahrenheit for the first week.  Gradually lower the temperature each week until they no longer need an extra heat source and are out on pasture, around week seven.

Check on your poults hourly throughout the day for the first week or two.  Baby poults are prone to flipping onto their backs and suffocating. Check for drafts as well, and continue to check the temperature.  Aerate and clean the bedding daily.  They need adequate feed and fresh water at all times.

While they are in their brooder, create a turkey run on pasture.  A mobile poultry tractor works great because it allows the birds to receive adequate, fresh pasture and can be moved frequently, allowing your land to rest.  The coop should have at least 3 square feet per bird and it should be tall enough that the birds can stand upright.  Provide areas for turkeys to roost.

Once the turkeys are strong enough to leave the brooder, they are easily integrated with chickens.  As long as there is plenty of space, and the feed can be separated, chickens and turkeys will thrive on pasture together.

Start your poults on a high-protein feed and be certain they have fresh water at all times.  The starter feed should be fed for eight weeks.  From 8-16 weeks, you can decrease the protein to 20%.  Their finishing diet (16 weeks to slaughter) should contain at least 16% protein.  Protein sources can include fish meal, soybean meal, or peanut meal.  Provide your turkeys with grit as well.

Over the course of 20 weeks, toms on a commercial diet will eat 100 pounds of feed each, and hens will consume approximately 64 pounds of feed.  Providing access to good-quality forage will decrease the amount of purchased feed while allowing your birds to benefit from exercise and natural sunlight which promotes good health, as well as tastier, more nutritious meat.

September is the time to contact everyone who expressed interest in purchasing a holiday turkey.  Remind them of their interest, quote your prices and ask if they will be purchasing a turkey for Thanksgiving.  Tell them you will call again in November to arrange a pick-up or drop-off date.

Some people who expressed interest earlier will decide not to purchase a turkey from you. You should know how many turkeys you need to sell after contacting your customer base. Ramp up your advertising in order to sell all the turkeys you have raised.

It can be difficult to know how to price your turkeys.  You will not be able to compete in price with the turkeys sold in supermarkets, nor do you want to.  Commercial poultry farms are gargantuan in size and the turkeys are crammed in as tight as possible.  Birds bred for weight and large, white breasts cannot mate naturally.  They are medicated in an effort to prevent the diseases that sunlight and exercise prevent naturally.

The minimum amount you should charge for a pastured heritage turkey is $4 per pound, and it is not uncommon to create a set price of up to $75 per bird.  Research prices in your area.

Pastured turkeys are ready to harvest and process at 20-24 weeks.  If you are selling to neighbors and local individuals, you can process the turkeys yourself.  If you are selling to restaurants or other retail outlets it is best (legally and financially) to let a local processor do it for you.

If you are selling your turkeys as “fresh, never frozen”, the week of Thanksgiving is going to be a busy one.  Get your harvesting and processing area ready Sunday night so you can get right to work Monday.  Keep your processed turkeys as cold as possible without freezing and deliver fresh turkeys on Tuesday.  An alternative to processing all of your turkeys in one day is to give customers the choice of receiving a frozen turkey.  Frozen turkeys can be done in batches before the fresh turkeys need to be harvested and delivered.

Mount a turkey-sized killing cone to the side of a building.  Have two or more sharp knives ready, along with a cull bucket and a water hose. Set up a processing table close to the scalding area.  You need a pot large enough to in which to dunk and swirl the birds, and a heat source that can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit.  Finally, have a large cooler filled with ice next to the processing table.

To harvest each turkey, hold it upside down and carry it to the killing cone.  Pull the head through the bottom of the cone and slit the jugular vein and carotid artery.  To do this, cut just behind the tendon where the beak and tongue attach.

Holding the feet, dunk and swirl the turkey in your pot of 140-degree water.  In just a few seconds, the feathers will remove easily.  Pull out of the water and pluck.

Rinse the bird.  Remove the feet and head.  Eviscerate, taking care to not cut into the intestines.  Cut the muscle tissue around the neck, then bend and break through the bone to remove the neck.

Once the bird is processed, rinse with cool, running water inside and out.  Place the bird in the cooler filled with cold water, making sure the turkey is completely submerged.  Chill for one hour before patting dry and packaging.

There are other ways to make money from your turkey farm after you have sold the bird to grace a holiday table.  First, if you are hatching turkey eggs, hatch out extra and sell the poults.  Remember, these sell for $10 a bird – much more than day-old chicks.  Second, after processing, collect and dry the feathers.  You can sell them to local crafters or incorporate them into your own crafts.  Finally, turkey manure is an excellent compost, either alone or mixed in the compost you have.  Bag it up and sell it to your local gardening club.

Turkeys are an easy way to make holiday cash on your homestead.  Give it a try this year with a small flock. If you enjoy it, and you make money with it, you can grow your operation.

The post Raise Heritage Turkeys for Holiday Cash appeared first on Homestead.org.