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Post by Bro. Freddie on Apr 28, 2008 10:55:28 GMT 12.75
These are now are new residents. Anthony received 25 brown leghorns. Lucas got 25 white leghorns. And to top it off, our extension agent brought by 50 more brown leghorns that some kids didn't pick up. So the total is 100 chicks.
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Post by Toby Benoit on Apr 28, 2008 17:17:53 GMT 12.75
A hundred chicks??? You gonna have one heck of a bunch of eggs!
These youngin's around here got A half dozen Domineckers (sp) and a dozen Red Eyed Rolands...um, I meant Rhode Island Reds with one big old Leghorn rooster.
They're bringing in ten or twelve eggs each day! When them hundred head of leghorns go to laying them boys of yours might get rich selling eggs!
At the auction last night in Sumter County, Fl. Hen poults, regardlesss of breed, was selling at an average of eight bucks a beak! Don't know what the Arkysaw market's like but with gas and grocery prices soaring, lots of demand for layers!
Wish 'em luck with their farm!
Still got goats?
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Post by Paws on Apr 28, 2008 22:17:46 GMT 12.75
Good training!
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Post by OLKoot on Apr 29, 2008 5:12:15 GMT 12.75
YUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYY, FOOD FOR THE WINTER!!! ;D
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Post by Bro. Freddie on Apr 29, 2008 13:17:00 GMT 12.75
We have to give 4 out of every 25 back to the 4-H program, so we can get chicks next year. That leaves us with about 84 hens and a rooster or two to sell. We have been selling after the fair (3rd week of September) for $7 a piece, but the prices may go up this year. We got a late start this year, usually we get chicks in March, so they may not be laying well by fair time. If they are, well, 100eggs per day is gonna add up pretty quick We will get the boys show goats around the 10th of May. i will post pics when we get them too.
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Post by Paws on Apr 29, 2008 23:50:49 GMT 12.75
With the direction the economy is going Pastor I'm thinking if the world is still standing another year that it might be an excellent idea to have a "close at hand" source of food available. I'm thinking myself about adding goats, chickens, hogs and rabbits to the managerie.
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Post by Toby Benoit on May 2, 2008 7:14:26 GMT 12.75
Reckon what kind of goats are the boys raising this year? We got Pygmys, Boer, Sonic, and Dwarf Pygmys right now. I just spent a whole day this last weekend doing hoof care and doogone near had a stroke in this 87 degree heat wrestling them big boer billys around. Sumvaguns is strong! Still gotta do the donkey's hooves...ain't looking forward to that. She's gentle as a lamb until you try to trim her feet, then she bites, kicks, and stomps the devil outta ya! The boys ever figure on raising calves for 4H? I got a pen full of holsteins right now that'd make fine project critters. Doggone shame ya'll are so far away!
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Post by Bro. Freddie on May 2, 2008 12:41:24 GMT 12.75
They will be raising either full blood Boer's or Boer crosses. But I'm not sure what the Boer is crossed with We are planning on getting 4 (2 for each boy). A wether and a doe each. That way they can show in the market class and the breeding class. Lucas' best friend (Clay) showed a steer last year, and Lucas wants to try it. Clay's dad, John, owns a cattle operation, and has told Lucas to come pick one out. The best thing is that we can keep it at John's, and John is gonna give Lucas the feed too. All we have to do is train it. If I had to guess, I would guess it will be an angus or maybe a brangus.
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Post by Paws on May 3, 2008 0:22:57 GMT 12.75
What do you guys use to clip their hoofs? Tinsnips, canvas shears or what? My goat got croaked before I had to do it. She kept them pretty well clean wearing them off on her concrete block mountain and the shingles on her roof. What would you recommend for milk and meat goats. (As if I could raise something and kill it for food.)
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Post by Bro. Freddie on May 3, 2008 9:05:32 GMT 12.75
We use goat hoof trimmers (yes, there is such a thing). But, you could use almost anything, including a plain, but sharp pocket knife.
If you are wanting to put one in the freezer, i would recommend a Boer or Boer cross. They grow fast, meaning more meat in a shorter period of time. How big do they get? Well, the goat we got last year, around this time of the year, weighed 125 lbs. at the fair in September. And he was still growing!
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Post by Toby Benoit on May 4, 2008 17:57:45 GMT 12.75
Get yerself a Boer or strong Boer cross like Fredie says. My big billy is 225# @4yo. Honestly though, for milk production, you can get yourself an alpine or nubian and still have respectable body size for the freezer as well. I trim my goats hooves with goat trimmers, but honestly, all they are are a pair of ling handles wire dykes. The kind with the flat face with an inch long mouth. They're cheap on e-bay. I have a couple red angus in the pasture, a bull and heiffer and I've another beefmaster heiffer I'm wanting to artificially inseminate. I can get semen from "Brehm's Collosal", a former grand national show champ and all around big mofo of a bull for under eighty bucks including shipping. Just gotta get my hands on a storage tank and I'm ordering it. Only twenty-five bucks to charge the tanks with liquid nitrogen for six weeks of storage. Here's his link, www.brehmfarms.com/colossal.htmlGotta love them farm stuffs, huh?
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Post by Paws on May 5, 2008 1:05:24 GMT 12.75
Good Lord Toby! What you been feedin' that goat? I don't know but I think that after having that idiot pigmy pet goat it might be hard for me to slaughter one. Think 'll stick to rabbit, chicken, venison, beef, pork, and fishies for meat. I do love my milk and cheese though. With the fat content of goat's milk approaching six percent in the high yield dairy goats, I wonder what their butter, and even buttermilk might be like. Any ideas? Also on the egg thing; anybody selling them? You know with eggs, milk, cheese, and butterfat along with some stashed vegies a man could make it fine. Think it might be a good idea to lay in flour and grain stores too. Bro Freddie have you considered that your good fortune in numbers of chicks, goat expertise and the instant availability of the beef critter just might possible be the Lord's way of preparing you and yours for things to come? I just have an unshakable feeling that tough times are right around the corner and yes I know "The Lord will provide"; but, like Mars I have a stash of weaponry and ammunition along with a respectable pantry of canned food and such just to help out. Thoughts? Pastor? Toby? Anybody??
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Post by Bro. Freddie on May 5, 2008 1:21:05 GMT 12.75
I think that times are going to get tough and very soon. Studying has convinced me that prophecy is being fulfilled right before our eyes.
I have a small supply of ammo, not near enough, but it is a start.
I'm not so sure that my experience in raising chickens and goats would help if the end times are here. I have always used store bought feed, and if it is going to get as rough as I think, there is no way I would be able to get to the feed store to buy the feed. Or have the money for that matter.
More and more I am seeing that I have to trust in the Lord to provide during this time.
Toby's goat ain't that big. The one we had last year was 7 months old and weighted 125#. So I can see a 4 year old weighing that much. In fact, when I was raising goats, our billy weighed over 300#, which is about average for a herd sire.
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Post by Paws on May 6, 2008 0:49:36 GMT 12.75
Did you catch the Food Network's Iron Chef America last night? The secret ingredient was goat and they used goat meat, goat cheese or "Chev" (French for goat cheese), and used goat milk in their preparations. Pretty interesting stuff.
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Post by Toby Benoit on May 8, 2008 7:32:57 GMT 12.75
Ya know Freddie, 500round bricks of .22 ammo are cheap at Wally-World. A man can put an awful lot of groceries on the table with a straight shooting .22!
I'm very fortunate to be living so far out in the country that we can graze our goats in the forest if we have to. In fact, we've done it many times already. They love the browse and it's a lot cheaper than $9.50 a bag for corn and higher yet for the pellet feeds.
I also supplement ou cattle and goat feed with bred. I hit a couple of bread stores regularly and buy grocery carts loaded with bread for $6.00 a cart. You can get a lot of bread in a grocery cart and it lasts a good while. Also, I got a couple of guys that run a lawn service and from time to time I'll stop by their places and get truck beds filled with fresh cut grass for free. It saves them from having to take it to the dump and the critters eat it up!
No Paws, I didn't see the Iron Chef, but there are a few really nice Greek eateries a little south of me in Tarpon Springs and them boys eat a LOT of goat. I might stop in down there on my next run through town and see if I can find one of their recipe books they sell for the tourists.
Got a milker in the feed lot now. Dave's gonna save it up and make some more cottage cheese. I hate it, the kids love it, and it's real easy to make.
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Post by Paws on May 8, 2008 15:01:51 GMT 12.75
You can scramble those eggs and freeze them up for later use. If you want you can separate the whites and yolks out before freeezing as well. Some folk freeze them in ice trays.
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Post by Bro. Freddie on May 8, 2008 21:10:50 GMT 12.75
We have thought of that, but haven't done it yet. Most of the time we just give them away to people in the community and at church. It is a great way for the boys to get their volunteer hours that 4-H requires.
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Post by Paws on May 8, 2008 22:48:46 GMT 12.75
That's a good idea too. You might consider freezing them for the church's food pantry as well should the production create more than what appears to be needed. Sure nothing wrong with sharing your bounty with those in need.
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Post by Toby Benoit on May 10, 2008 9:52:15 GMT 12.75
"Sure nothing wrong with sharing your bounty with those in need. " Amen to that! You priced eggs in the grocery store lately? It's rediculous!
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Post by Bro. Freddie on May 18, 2008 23:01:07 GMT 12.75
The newest residents of our household arived yesterday. The two tallest are Lucas' and the two shortest are Anthony's. They will leave after the State Fair, which is around the 2nd week of October. There are 2 wether's, or will be as soon as their testicles fall off, and two does. Each boy will have one of each.
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