Evaluation Time: 2013 Homestead Goals

This is the time of year when we take time to look back over the goals we made for the year. It's encouraging to see our progress, plus it helps us decide what our next steps are going to be in the coming year.

We divided our goals into areas:

• house
• fencing
• rain catchment
• garden
• pasture improvement
• animal shelters
• outbuildings 

Here's the progress we made on each.

House 

Rather than individual goals for the house, we had a project list that was more like a list of steps.

1. finish hall bathroom - completed in July
2. make a study for Dan - completed in August
3. finish new bedroom - almost done except the floor
4. continue replacing siding on the house - good progress here. Basically, we work on siding as we replace windows in whatever room we're working on.

Fencing
 
We have several places that need fencing. The first was to fence an area of the woods as a browse for our does.

Detail from our 2012 Master Plan. The red line is the proposed fence.

I started clearing a line for the fence last January, after all the kudzu and blackberries had died back for the winter ("Trailblazing The Property Line"). Progress stopped in February, because of all the rain we'd been having ("Non-Progress on the New Fence"). Rain continued to be a deterrent all summer. This month we resumed work on that fence again. I hope to be able to announce that it's completed soon.

Rain Catchment
 

This was the first goal checked off the 2013 goal list.

We got a system set up in January, but had to fix a leak. It's amazing how much we can collect off a small section of roof. We hope to eventually add one to each downspout plus our outbuildings.

Garden

I did try some firsts, such as the flax pictured above. I also tried
cushaw winter squash, pak choy, and tatume summer squash.

I didn't actually set any goals for the garden, but I did try to challenge myself to accomplish and record at least one thing daily of working toward year around independent eating (I did that on my Garden Journal). Eventually just having to find time to do this became too time consuming. Not that it took a lot of time; I just have too much else to do until it was no longer a priority.

Pasture Improvement

Our quarter acre buck pasture. Minerals added & ready to plant.

This year's goal was our small buck pasture ("Soil Remineralization: Year 2"). After remineralizing, we planted field corn and cowpeas. After these were harvested I sowed annual rye for a winter pasture and we let the boys back in to munch down the stalks and vines.

Animal Shelters
 

Our newly built goat shelter.

This is one goal we made progress on in spite of so many rainy days. We wanted to build two: one for the bucks while we grew field corn in their pasture, and one for pigs. We got the goat shelter done, but decided to wait on getting pigs.

Outbuildings

Floor plan for a goat barn. Click for larger. Details here.

Besides constructing new shelters, we also have two (three if we count the carport) old structures which are in need of either repair or demolition. We have discussed everything from repairing and re-using, to tearing down and starting over.  We especially need a better setup for the goats. We finally decided to tear down the largest of our two outbuildings and build a new structure in its footprint. However, before we can do that, we have to clear it out. We've been using it for hay storage, garden tools and equipment, and Dan's workshop. All of these things need new homes, but we have made a beginning. More on that soon.

All in all, I think we accomplished much this year and made good progress. It's a rewarding feeling. Next post, goals for 2014.

Evaluation Time: 2013 Homestead Goals © December 2013 

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Year In Review: 2013

January

Our rainwater catchment system

Our two big projects for January were the hallway bathroom and our first rainwater catchment system. The hall bath was actually on it's way to becoming a master suite bath: we insulated and paneled the walls, dropped the ceiling, and trimmed out my pretty stained glass bathroom window.

February

Laying a new tile bathroom floor

The hall bathroom remodel continued as we worked on the floor and began refurbishing the old clawfoot tub.

March

Newborn Alphie

In March my first Kikobian kid was born! Not a true breed, this little guy is the first of what I hope will be a line of Kiko/Nubian cross homestead goats. His birth was a difficult one but thankfully both he and his mom made it.  This was the month we let the goats on to our new pasture. Progress on the bathroom (the tub) was slow because of cold temperatures.

April

Ziggy, taking a breather from carrying around her yet-to-be-born quads.

April seemed a slow month while we waited for Ziggy to kid. Dan built a new shelter for the goats in the front pasture so we could prepare the buck pasture for planting field corn. In the bathroom, the clawfoot tub was finished at last and installed.

May

Lily and her 2 day old twins, Daisy and Rosie

In May, our goat population exploded. Lily gave birth to twin Kikobian doelings, and at long last, Ziggy had quadruplets. Sadly, only three survived, but what cuties they were. These were a Kiko/Nigerian cross, which proved to be very nice little goats. Also in May we bought Hooper, our second Kiko (future) stud.

June

Mama Buff and a few of her new brood.

In June, one of my Buff Orpington hens hatched 8 eggs and happily adopted 16 mail order chicks. We got our field corn planted (in between rain drops) and had our first experience killing and butchering a goat. In the bathroom remodel, Dan built a gorgeous sink cabinet and installed a vessel sink.

July

Our field corn was sock high by the 4th of July

July was a difficult month as our baby chicks began to disappear during the night. We eventually caught the killer, a rat. About the same time there was a coyote sighting in the area, the first in a long time. On a happier note, it was the month we got our guinea keets and finished the bathroom.

August

Katy and Sam.

After losing 6 chicks to that rat, we decided to expand our rodent control department. As part of our master suite remodel, we used found space to make a study for Dan. When the rain wouldn't let up, we also got to work on the new bedroom by replacing the old drafty windows with new energy efficient ones.

September

Progress on the exterior of the house. We're gradually replacing the vinyl
covered original siding with a barn board look panel and new color.

Our beautiful September weather was timely. Once the new bedroom windows were installed, we needed to get them trimmed on the outside of the house. We made progress with the siding, trim, and painting. We cut down one of our old (but mostly dead) shade oaks for firewood. It was sad to lose it but worse, was losing two more chickens to an unknown predator.

October

Our guineas

October was a harvest month: field corn, cushaw, muscadines, popcorn, and what turned out not to be pumpkins. I planted winter pasture. To keep things fun, our guinea fowl were a source of never ending entertainment. 

November

His & hers closets were made by tearing out a wall hiding closets for
the adjacent bedrooms. Tall ceilings enabled the storage space above.

November saw progress on the bedroom closets (phase 1 and phase 2). Other good news, my pullets began to lay.

December

Of course the big news in December was the publication of my book, 5 Acres & A Dream The Book: The Challenges of Establishing a Self-Sufficient Homestead. Sadly, it was the month we lost our guinea fowl. Being a mild month, we were able to make progress on fencing and a new chicken coop, as well as work on the bedroom. I'll have photos and details on all of those soon.

Year In Review: 2013 © December 2013 

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Where Oh Where Did My Guineas Go???

This is the sad story of how we suddenly became guinea-less.

Of all our critters, I think the guineas were my favorite. We got them as keets to clean up our tick problem. What we discovered, is that they are unique and remarkable birds. They have personality, and opinions! Ours came when they were called, ("guineaguineaguinea") and usually spent the night in their guinea house.

The most common question folks ask about them is, are guineas really as noisy as they are reputed to be? The answer is yes. They are loud and noisy sometimes, at other times, they chirp and twitter amongst themselves like songbirds. The other problem is that they roam.

The noise and roaming were always potential problems because we have neighbors near the front of the property. As long as the guineas stayed away from the road, no problem. True, they would often hop the fences to check things out next door, but there had never been complaints. The neighbors on the one side had lots of acreage and likely never noticed. Our neighbors on the other side have chickens, so occasional stray birds on either side of the fence (theirs or ours) is mutually accepted. If only things would have stayed that way.

When the guineas wandered too far we'd go bring them back. They would come for chicken scratch when called, and could usually be distracted by being allowed into the chicken yard. For some reason they loved the chicken yard and would happily spend the afternoon there (much to the indignation of the chickens). Even so, it was a chore to keep retrieving them.

One day the guineas were being particularly naughty. They decided they were going to go across the street. We'd already had several go-rounds with one of our neighbors, about their dog doing its business on our property, and wanted to keep things amicable. Having our 9 guinea fowl continually exploring others' neat, trim, suburban looking yards didn't seem a good way to keep things neighborly.

Anyway, I had to go get the guineas several times. None of the usual distractions worked, and the last time I went to fetch them, they balked when they got into the street. To make matters worse, a pick-up truck came barreling over the hill and had to stop because of them. I'm out there waving my arms and trying to herd them to our side of the road, they're all screaming at the truck, and the driver is making faces and hand gestures to let me know that having to wait 20 seconds for me to get my birds out of the road was not acceptable.

As I herded them toward the back of their property, I debated what to do. As much as we loved and wanted the guineas, the nine noisy wanderers were really too many. Keeping track of them was becoming a full time job. I began to understand why the job of herding animals was often given to youngsters in days gone by. Still, I needed to do something immediately.

In the end, I took them back to their house and used chicken scratch to get most of them to go inside. I closed the door, posted an ad for free guineas on craigslist, and waited by the phone. Seven of them were locked up, two were still on the loose, and I figured two would be a better number for our situation than nine.

The folks who took them were trying to get their own little place together. They didn't live close so there was no chance of the guineas coming home. It was hard for me to watch them go and I kept hoping a few others would get away too. It was amazing how quite the place was after they left.

The interesting thing about the two remaining birds is that they were not only on the bottom of the guinea pecking order, they were guinea rejects. The others would continually chase them away and not let them come in the coop at night. It took forever to get the guineas put up in the evening because the last one was afraid to go in with the others. I'd seen them attack it several times. But it always went in, which I felt was safer than leaving it out all night as easy picking for some predator.

About a week later I went to feed our two guineas and they were gone. Dan had seen them at about 2:30 that afternoon and I discovered they were missing around 5, so they disappeared within a several hour timespan. We'd been outdoors and never heard them holler and fuss, so we have no clue as to what happened. Did something get them? Did they decide to leave? Did a fed up neighbor pick them off? Did someone think they were wild turkeys or oddball pheasants?

The other night Dan woke up and went to look out the window. He thought he saw something run by and went outside to investigate. While he stood there in the dark, something came running across the road. At first he thought it might be a large fox. A second one followed and he shined the flash light on them. It was coyotes, likely the same ones our neighbor told us about last summer. Right now, that seems the most probable reason for the last two guineas' disappearance.

I've not given up on having guineas, but will definitely not mail order them next time. The minimum order of birds was too many for our situation. Maybe next summer, if I get a broody hen, I'll see if I can buy a couple keets locally and graft them onto her.

So that's the tale of our brief career as guinea wranglers.

Where Oh Where Did My Guineas Go??? © December 2013 

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/