HOMESTEADucation

Hi you all! While at The Homestead Festival in Columbia, Tennessee- on Rory Feek's Homestead, we were able to sit down with Rory himself and chat with him about his dream of putting on this festival come to life.  It was incredible to hear a little more about the why, and also learn this was the first, but not the last! 

This episode is proudly sponsored by Tractor Supply. 

Enjoy! 

Sometimes episode ideas just come to us and we have to hit record. 

Sit down with us as we talk about Homesteading and the associated grief that comes along with it. 
How we process the grief. Maybe how we don't. 
It is bound to be a conversation that we all need to have with one another and this is just the start. 

Cheers to you all. 

Be sure to find us on Instagram 
Angela : @axeandroothomestead
Mandi : @wildoakfarms

Today we wanted to open up the topic about the most recent outbreak of Avian Flu and hear Kirstens real life and very recent experience with Avian Flu and having to cull her whole flock. 

We are so grateful to her for sitting down with us to talk about this very tough topic. 
Kirsten is a published author and is mostly known for being the Homestead Communitys "goose lady". 
You can find Kirsten on Instagram at hostilevalleyliving and at hostilevalleyliving.com
Please join us in listening to what happened, how they dealt with it, and their plans going forward. 

For more information about Avian Influenza please visit https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-2022/2022-hpai-wild-birds 

Everyones FAVORITE topic. Money.

How to make money on your Homestead? How do you do it?
The most common question. 
Join the conversation with us. 

Hatching Basics

We cover chickens, ducks, and geese in this episode

Touching on turkeys and quail, the more common poultry species on most

homesteads.

From how to pick your incubator, pick the right eggs to hatch, where to put your

incubator, and how long. There is a lot to know!

While we all can read as much information as we can digest, you do gain a lot of

information once you have a few hatches under your belt.

The difference isn’t too vast when it comes to each species we will talk about, but

there are a few.

Set up and choosing an incubator:

There are SO many.

Simple Styrofoam

Incubators that have auto turners

Cabinet style

How do you choose? Most of us are going to go middle of the road and invest in an

incubator with an auto turner. This allows us to set the eggs and NOT have to turn

then 3-5 times a day.

The incubator is mimicking what would be happening if a broody would elect to

hatch a clutch, so we cant just set the eggs and walk away for 21-28 days.

And then we have to talk about the “air types” inside the incubator.

There are basically two types of incubators available, forced-air and still-air

incubators. Forced-air incubators have fans that provide internal air circulation. The

capacity of these units may be very large. The still-air incubators are usually small

without fans for air circulation. It is just kind of like a hot box and not as common.

Still-air incubators are trickier to use, and it requires precision to set this kind of

incubator. The radiant heat warms up the air, and since the air will not be able to

circulate, it is very crucial to identify the correct placement of the eggs. The warm

air tends to not be equal, thus making it harder to achieve a successful hatch.

In addition, the setting of still air incubators has to be exact otherwise, temperature

and humidity anomalies might occur inside.

Backing up, in order to have a successful hatch you have to focus on two things.

Temperature and humidity. Remember we are replicating what it would be like if

the hen or goose went broody and hatched these eggs on their own.

We have talked about it before, how we as humans seem to interfere too much when

it comes to many aspects of homesteading, this is no exception.

Chickens 21-days/Lockdown day 18- Temperature 99.5 incubator temp/Humidity

around 45% for first 18 days and then bump up to about 60-65% at lockdown.

Ducks 28 days/Lockdown day 25-26 (besides Muscovys)- Temperature

99.5/Humidity about 50-55% for the first 25 days and then bump up to about 65-

68% at lockdown

Geese 28-35 days-/Lockdown 3 day before hatch day- Temperature 99.5 (if not a

hair lower- 99.4)/Humidity 50-55% for the first 25 days and then bump up to about

65-68% at lockdown.

For waterfowl- a cooling period is even more beneficial/crucial than with chicken

eggs. Again, this is mimicking the mother bird.

Some folks with mist the eggs every day or so, again replicating the mother bird

bathing or swimming.

Place your incubator in a draft free location.

Everyone will have slight variations, we all live in different home environments.

This is why we talk about trialing with a couple of eggs, especially if you are

hatching eggs that are very special or hard to find.

Assisting the hatch?

While you are waiting for the poultry to hat

Keeping Goats

If you are just starting out in the goat-raising field, let us help you get prepared a bit. Think of this as a little goat for beginners crash course. We will cover picking the right breed for you, basic care and nutrition, and everyone’s favorite thing. Fencing. I might also add that when starting out in any new journey, it is wise to find what I like to call a mentor! They can be a great resource for you and your new family members.

Breeds to consider:

In the United States, there are 14 common goat breeds.

Buck/Wether Doe/Doeling

Main - Pygmy, Nubian, Nigerian Dwarf, Boer

Pygmy goats are small in stature, comical and densely found across the US. Pygmy goats are actually documented as a meat breed, although I do find they are sometimes crossed and used as a dairy breed. Traditionally, Pygmy goats are very good browsers and used often in a pasture rotation setting with other animals.

Nigerian Dwarf goats are similar in size to the Pygmy, maybe reaching on average 40lbs. They have a more slender appearance and are a very well known dairy goat breed. Widely popular on small farms and homesteads. With their small size, sought after butterfat percentage and amazing milk potential they make a great addition. Nigeria Dwarf goats hold a butterfat percentage that is on average 6-10%!

Butterfat is the fat content found in milk, and is particularly important when it comes to cheesemaking.

Nubian goats. Most often only used as a dairy breed, well known for their long ears and Roman noses, Nubians are quite social and incredible milk producers. Nubians have an on average 5% butterfat content in their milk. Nubians are known for being outgoing and a tad loud. They are the largest of the three breeds we are highlighting, and do require a bit more space.

Boer goats are bred to thrive under extensive livestock farming conditions in hot, arid environments where the quality of grazing is poor. The breed has the ability to convert poor-quality forage into meat at a very low cost, enabling livestock farmers in these arid areas to farm commercially.

Considerations:

Goats need a bare minimum of 20 square feet of inside space and 200 square feet of pasture space per goat.

They are browsers not grazers- the prefer bushes vs grass.

Nutrition needs – they are ruminants and have 4 stomach quadrants. They regurgitate their food and chew their cud.

The compartments are the reticulum, rumen, omasum and abomasum, or true stomach.

Monogastric or simple-stomached animals such as humans, dogs and cats consume food that

undergoes acidic breakdown in the stomach and enzymatic digestion in the small intestine, where most nutrients are absorbed.

In ruminants, feed first undergoes microbial digestion in the reticulum and rumen — together, often called the reticulo-rumen — prior to acidic digestion in the abomasum and enzymatic digestion and nutrient absorption in the small intestine. The microbial digestion in the reticulo-rumen allows ruminants to consume and utilize grass, hay, leaves and browse. – (Meat Goat Nutrition)

The bacteria in the rumen are capable of synthesizing all B vitamins needed!

Fencing

Basic needs- hoof trim, vaccines, overall care.

Health issues?

Herd animals- they are very social and curious. Some even say intelligent.

What they eat DOES impact how the milk tastes.

Breeding/Milk sharing?

They have many quirks. They move into pressure- not away.

They have a dental pad in the front top- and on top and bottom they have VERY sharp teeth ( in the back) and can actually break a finger. Or a tree limb etc

Lifespan- similar to a dog

Season 2: Introduction to Beekeeping

Why Keep Bees

Increase pollination for fruit and vegetable crops, contribute to the honeybee population, production benefits of honey, pollen and wax

The Members of a Hive

Queen (only hive member capable of laying eggs)

Workers (female, worker bees who play the roles of guardians, nurses, foragers, comb builders, honey creators, undertakers, etc.)

Drones (male, sole job is to mate with the queen)

Sourcing Bees

Common Honeybee Breeds in the US (not exhaustive list)

https://bees4life.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/bee-races1.jpg

• Carniolan - generally more docile disposition, moderate disease resistance, good chance of overwinter
• Italian: moderately gentle, low disease resistance, good chance of overwinter
• Saskatraz: generally docile, known for overwintering ability
• Russian: High disease resistance, good for overwinter, generally aggressive
• Africanized: resistant to varroa, highly aggressive, high disease resistance, poor overwintering ability
• Other races: caucasion, buckfast, german, etc.

Nuc vs Package

Sourcing local is best. They will be successfully overwinter stock (if that applies to your region) and a local beekeeper can assist with treatment and behavioral questions. 

Nuc: A 5-frame working colony with a queen, workers and drones. Frames often include capped brood (eggs and larvae) and honey/pollen.

Package: A package is a collection of bees including one queen, workers and drones compiled into a box or shipping container. They are not a working colony and do not come with frames or food stores. Typically shipped from warmer climates to cooler areas where bees have no experience with overwintering.

Place orders for bees in December-February. Usually nuc pick-up and package shipment is in early spring.

Equipment Needed

Langstroth Hive for Beginners

• Most common hive set up. Includes a landing/bottom board, a brood box (where the queen lays her eggs and where the bees “live”), a honey super (a box dedicated to honey stores), frames, a queen excluder (optional), an inner cover and outer cover
• Bee suit, veil, gloves, hive tool, smoker, entrance reducers, feeders (optional)
• Hive stand: a set of cinder blocks and 4x4” posts, a pallet, a built table, etc]

Hive Site Selection

A dry, flat location with morning sunlight and afternoon shade is ideal. Avoid slopes where the hive could fall, floodplains, high traffic locations and areas where the bees will often be disturbed.
Bees will travel up to five miles in search of forage. They will travel ¼ mile for water.

The Role of the Beekeeper

• Facilitate hive health. The entire beekeeping season is an effort to prepare for the next winter.
• Treat hives if you feel that falls within your moral code
  • Varroa
  • Small Hive Beetles
  • Wax Moths
  • Mice/Shrews
  • Roaches
  • Spiders
  • Ants
• Conduct inspections regularly (generally conducted monthly) to observe the following:
  • Queen health (her size if you can see her, laying patterns)
  • Frames of larvae
  • Frames of pollen stores
  • Frames of honey
  • Are there lots of workers and drones?
  • Is there capped brood?
  • Signs of swarming (queen cups, supercedure cells, etc.)
  • Signs of pests/disease
• Feed the bees if that aligns with your methodology
  • Sugar syrup in warmer months
  • Sugar cakes in colder months

Raising geese on the homestead. 

Goose facts:

Gander/Goose or Hen

Geese were domesticated over 3,000 years ago! 

Breeds to consider

-A’s breed chart

https://www.axeandroothomestead.com/store/p12/Download%3A_Which_Breed_of_Goose_is_Right_for_my_Farm%3F.html

-We both raise Sebastopol geese- a threatened breed 

Reasons why:

-Geese just kind of have a zest of life! 

Eggs

Guardians

FUN

How to start/where to look:

Local folks

Metzer

Meyer Hatchery

Mypetchicken

Getting one goose isn’t recommended- just like goats for example- they are flock animals.

Housing considerations:

Bedding

Water-pools vs natural water

Everyday needs discussed.

Nutrition!!

-This might be the most critical part of raising goslings/geese. For the first several weeks goslings need a feed that contains roughly 22% protein- chick starter is not suitable and never use medicated. 

Niacin- a B vitamin that is crucial for healthy development of water fowl-specifically geese. Without it you will see stunted growth and leg issues. –Brewers yeast is an option 

Geese LOVE grass  and are actually excellent weeders. 

Health-

Bumblefoot 

Coccidia

Angel wing

GOOSE EGG CUSTARD RECIPE! 
2 goose eggs

4 cups of whole milk or cream- either works great!

1/2 cup of honey 

A dash of sea salt

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract or a dash ( I don't measure much)

Preheat your oven to 350F. 

Scald the milk. In a saucepan heat the milk, stirring regularly, until it begins to simmer. Allow it to cool for a moment while you mix the rest of the ingredients

Mix together goose eggs, honey, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl. 

SLOWLY mix in the hot milk, careful you don't want to cook the eggs. Stir until everything is combined. 

Pour the mix into a prepared ramekins or pie pans. Think of this as a creme brûlée! 

Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the custard sets and is jiggly.

Enjoy hot or cold. Top with fruit or homemade whipped cream! YUM

How Much Food to Grow Per Person

Different for every grower. Plant quantities are based on tastes, cooking frequency, root cellar availability, preservation skillset, dietary requirements, etc.

Look at your grocery bill

What are you buying frequently from the store? How much are you buying?

Is there something you can grow instead of buying from the produce section?

Is there something you can grow to preserve (tomato sauce)?

1. Do you want to grow for fresh eating? And preservation? And storage? What about to sell? If so, quantities change.

Example: Angela grows 30-35 tomato plants for fresh eating and canning into sauce for a year. This quantity of plants is based on personal experience.

Example: Mandi grows a shitload of lettuce every season. She has enough for her family to eat daily and also to set out at her Farmacy farm stand.

1. Set realistic goals for your garden space. Here’s recommended garden size for one year of food:

Vegetarians: 4400 square feet of growing space per person 

Omnivores: 200 square feet of growing space per person

-also found-

4400 square feet of growing space per person for a whole year

200 square feet of growing space per person just for the season

1. Recommended quantities as a general guide for fresh eating and minimal preservation habits, per person
   Asparagus (1 plant/ft. of row), 5-10 plants per person

Bush beans (2 plants/ft. of row), 12-15 plants

Beets (Thin to 3 plants/ft. of row), 15-30 plants

Cucumber (1 plant/2 ft. of row), 1 vine, 2 bushes

Carrots (Thin to 12 plants/ft. of row), 48 plants

Corn (1 plant/ft. of row), 10-15 plants (plant in blocks for best pollination)

Eggplant (1 plant/2 ft. of row), 2-3 plants

Kale (10/10 ft. of row), 2-7 plants

Leaf lettuce (Thin to 3 plants/ft. of row), 24 plants

Melon (1 plant/6 ft. of row), 1-2 plants

Onion (4 sets/ft. of row), 12-20 sets

Peas (6 plants/ft. of row), 15-20 plants

Pepper (1 plant/ft. of row), 3-5 plants

Potato (1 plant/ft. of row), 10 plants

Radish (thin to 12 plants/ft. of row), 10-15 plants

Spinach (Thin to 6 plants/ft. of row), 30-60 plants

Squash (1 plant/6 ft. of row), 1-2 plants

Tomato (1 plant/2 ft. of row), 2-4 plants

Zucchini (1 plant/3 ft. of row), 1-2 plants

1. Achieve higher yields in the garden to sustain family members by growing in succession. This saves on space.
   1. For example, sow radish seeds every two weeks in a new spot in the garden. You will have continuous harvests for fresh eating and preservation rather than growing and harvesting all at once.
2. Plant extra to ensure a “bumper crop.” This acts as insurance from crop loss due to pests, disease and unforeseen events.
3. There’s only so much room in the designated garden. Amended raised bed soil and in-ground garden space is premium real estate. To save that growing space for more tender vegetables and annuals, look to other “places” to grow your own food outside the garden beds.
   1. Orchard plants
   2. Start a berry patch
   3. Grow pumpkins outside the garden
   4. Asparagus, potatoes, garlic, and onions are all deer tolerant and don’t need to be grown within a fence (though they do offer companion planting benefits)
   5. Angela has grown greens in window boxes off the house
4. Resources for further reading:

https://www.almanac.com/video/how-many-garden-to-feed-family<

We are SO excited to bring all of this information to you!
As per usual, for more information find us at @axeandroothomestead and @wildoakfarms on Instagram. Cheers!

Quote from Angela’s upcoming book: We have identified many factors and practices that contribute to unhealthy soil ecosystems. But why bother trying to rectify and rehabilitate it? Healthy nutritionally dense soil can produce healthy nutritionally dense food for humans and animals. Ultimately it is the foundation for productive and sustainable agriculture. Farming for soil health creates a land stewardship relationship between land and grower. It fosters carbon absorption, erosion reduction, maximum water absorption, improved nutrient cycling, and overall land resiliency.

According to one study, “All plants require 17 elements to complete their life cycle, and an additional four elements have been identified as essential for some plants (Havlin et al. 2005). With the exception of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which plants obtain from air and water, plants derive the remaining 14 elements from the soil or through fertilizers, manures, and amendments (Parikh & James 2012).”*

*scientific journal reference: Soil Minerals and Plant Nutrition, By: Balwant Singh, Ph.D. (Department of Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney) & Darrell G. Schulze, Ph.D. (Department of Agronomy, Purdue University) © 2015 Nature Education 

Citation: Singh, B. & Schulze, D. G. (2015) Soil Minerals and Plant Nutrition. Nature Education Knowledge 6(1):1

https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/soil-minerals-and-plant-nutrition-127881474/

Soil Layers
Horizon O = organic material on top of soil (grass, logs, decaying material, etc.)
Topsoil = contains rhizosphere, part of Horizon A

Horizon A = underneath Horizon o and topsoil, contains rhizosphere roots

Horizon E = eluviation  layer, leached minerals and organic matter

Horizon B = subsoil / minerals and salts

Horizon C = parent material (decaying logs, rock)

Horizon R = bedrock

Rhizosphere = layer of soil where root and microgoranism interactions take place. Contains microbes, mycorrhizae, etc.

Mycorrhizae: beneficial fungus surrounding the roots. They help the plant absorb nutrients and moisture in exchange for feeding off plant’s sloughed off cells, sugars, starches, etc.

Microbes: join together to create a protective shield over plant roots to prevent pathogen and harmful bacteria access.

Healthy soil includes microbes, plant roots of varying layers, mycorrhizae, nematodes, protozoa, root exudates, minerals, decomposed and undecomposed plant matter. This creates hummus, a working soil ecosystem.

Farming practices that harm soil:

• When we apply fertilizers, a plant no longer requires the assistance of mycorrhizae for nutrient absorption. The plant is absorbing nutrients from the fertilizer, instead of the soil. The fungi begin to die.
  ***(According to sare.org, “If not applied properly, up to 40 percent of nitrogen urea fertilizer can escape into the atmosphere as ammonia gas, through a process called volatilization.” A net loss of nitrogen is a result within the soil.
• Stop amending soil specific to one plant’s needs. Instead, feed the soil.

Too much manufactured nitrogen → cause overactive soil microbes which feed on organic matter too quickly → organic matter in soil is depleted and can’t support crops nor absorb carbon and other nutrients → too little organic matter within soil can’t retain fertilizer and it leaches away which ends up in ground water and atmosphere.