• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

Tommie's Homesteading progression

 
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Likes 7
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I have decided to start a thread that will outline my progress towards owning my own homestead and my everyday struggles/successes/failures on my 1.5 acre rented house that I am turning into a homestead.

Today all I did was build a compost bin (enclosed) and organized my dwindling lumber pile. Pictures tomorrow.
 
pollinator
Posts: 100
Location: out in the woods of Maine
14
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Good luck

We are 12 years down that path here.
 
Tommie Hockett
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Well guys sorry I haven't been updating this thread. I have been busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest. Anyway, along with the compost bin I also got some nest boxes built for my rabbits. We have 2 that should be having there babies tomorrow or the next day and 2 more that will be having them in 3 to 4 more days.I also ventured down the path of figuring up how much it costs to raise a rabbit up to maturity for butchering (6 months) and I seriously hope I am wrong (math isn't my strong suit) but I came up with $173 per rabbit per six months!!! I will go back and refigure that though. And as promised just very late here are some pictures... no pics it didnt happen haha
Resized_20171020_115924.jpg
[Thumbnail for Resized_20171020_115924.jpg]
Resized_20171020_121736.jpg
[Thumbnail for Resized_20171020_121736.jpg]
Resized_20171020_120018.jpg
[Thumbnail for Resized_20171020_120018.jpg]
Resized_20171020_121737.jpg
[Thumbnail for Resized_20171020_121737.jpg]
Resized_20171020_122942.jpg
[Thumbnail for Resized_20171020_122942.jpg]
Resized_20171020_122901.jpg
[Thumbnail for Resized_20171020_122901.jpg]
Resized_20171020_123448.jpg
[Thumbnail for Resized_20171020_123448.jpg]
Resized_20171020_125034.jpg
[Thumbnail for Resized_20171020_125034.jpg]
 
gardener
Posts: 1508
Location: Virginia (zone 7)
363
hugelkultur dog forest garden fish hunting trees books food preservation solar
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Tommie Hockett wrote: $173 per rabbit per six months!!!



That couldn't be right, could it? Maybe, if you're Hugh Hefner.

Thanks for creating this thread. I'll be interested to watch your progress. I look forward to seeing lots of pictures.
 
Tommie Hockett
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Oooook. It is $11.51 per six months for a rabbit. Not to bad. I will only have to sell 17 rabbits a year to pay for themselves and turn a bit of a profit. And thank you Karen I appreciate it.
 
Tommie Hockett
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Well we have some baby rabbits now.  The 2 older does that are full blood new zealand had their kits. One doe had five babies and my older doe only had one. I think she is about at the end of her breeding days. The last time she only had 2. She is nearing up on 3.5 years old. The provlem I run into with her is that she is one of those animals that was just simply born to be a mother. She gets very depressed when she isn't either pregnant or raising babies. So I don't know what I am going to do the next time around. Anyway pictures to come in the next few days when it is warm enough to uncover the kits enough to see whats what.
 
Tommie Hockett
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Well my first kit of pedigreed tamuk/A&M newzealand composites were born this morning!!! She only had 3 but I chalk that up to her being a first time momma. The doe is the one that is sitting in the nest box looking  (goofy) right at the camera. I promise I will get some fresh pictures. We have a wierd cold snap blowing through right now. But if my wife can't get any pictures I will when I get home from work and will post them sometime on Teusday.

As always thanks for reading and have a blessed day!
 
pollinator
Posts: 48
Location: Ontario, Canada
10
forest garden books bee
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Love the thread :) the bunnies are so cute! Can't wait to see the pics of the babies. Stay warm.
 
Tommie Hockett
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hey guys sorry it has taken me so long to post. My internet has been acting up on my phone. Anyway we had some good progress over the last week. My dad came over and helped me install an automatic watering system for the rabbits and they all seem to like it just fine. Also we had more babies than we originally counted. The white doe Josephine had 4 white's and 3 black's not much diversity there but no big deal. There was a minor setback she ate one of her babies.... we started feeding her more food and she is doing fine and all of the rest of her babies are healthy! And the tan doe Danearys had 5. Also My dad gave me 100 square bales for my garden this spring!!! I just have to go get them out of the field. (You gotta love dad's I certianly don't know what I would do wothout him.) Anyway now for what you have all been waiting for.... PICTURES!!! lol.
baby-bunnies.jpg
baby-bunnies
baby-bunnies
rabbits.jpg
rabbits
rabbits
baby-rabbit.jpg
baby rabbit
baby rabbit
 
Tommie Hockett
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
More pics I cant get them all to load in one post
20171105_093036.jpg
[Thumbnail for 20171105_093036.jpg]
20171105_093047.jpg
[Thumbnail for 20171105_093047.jpg]
20171104_184644.jpg
[Thumbnail for 20171104_184644.jpg]
20171105_092407.jpg
[Thumbnail for 20171105_092407.jpg]
 
Tommie Hockett
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
More pictures. As a bonus there are some of my goats
20171103_162504.jpg
My rockstar bick named apollo. He is chillin after getting treated for earmites
My rockstar bick named apollo. He is chillin after getting treated for earmites
20171104_184740.jpg
My baby boy Wyatt Earp Hockett
My baby boy Wyatt Earp Hockett
20171104_184755.jpg
The matriarch of our goat herd Molly Malone Hockett
The matriarch of our goat herd Molly Malone Hockett
 
Tommie Hockett
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I almost forgot to show yall the watering system. I need to buy a tank heater and a recirculator for the winter. I purchased all of the parts from klubertanz.com. If anyone is interested in doing this contact me and I can help you. It isn't as complocated as I thought it would be.


P.s. i thought I had more pictures of it. I will update this when I get home and get better pictures
20171104_184600.jpg
[Thumbnail for 20171104_184600.jpg]
20171104_184443.jpg
[Thumbnail for 20171104_184443.jpg]
 
Tommie Hockett
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Well guys and gals they are officially at the cute stage. Will have to butcher some of the older stock when I get home for additional cage space. If anyone is interested in the process of butchering put a post up and I will take pics along the way. Also I am going to try air skinning to see if it will make it easier to scrape the hides... maybe have less meat,fat and possibly even less membrane on the hide itself...??? Just a thought.
Resized_20171112_105426.jpg
My oldest doe Bonnie with her 1 baby
My oldest doe Bonnie with her 1 baby
Resized_20171112_105240.jpg
Danearys litter
Danearys litter
Resized_20171112_105226.jpg
Danearys kit
Danearys kit
 
Tommie Hockett
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
A few more pics
Resized_20171112_105200.jpg
Josephine's litter
Josephine's litter
Resized_20171112_105152.jpg
Josephine's litter
Josephine's litter
Resized_20171112_105133.jpg
2 of Sugar's babies. The rest felt like being shy
2 of Sugar's babies. The rest felt like being shy
 
Karen Donnachaidh
gardener
Posts: 1508
Location: Virginia (zone 7)
363
hugelkultur dog forest garden fish hunting trees books food preservation solar
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I love your pictures! Thanks for sharing.

(Note to self: If you're having a bad day, come back here and look at those bunnies. Aww.)
 
Tommie Hockett
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Lol Karen thank you. You know if you weren't so far away you could have some of these cute little ones in a month when they are ready. Wink wonk nudge nudge.
 
Tommie Hockett
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I would post this in the cider press under religion but I do not have enough apples.

My family has been stricken by the worst tragedy imaginable. Early monday morning we lost our 3 year old grandson in a house fire and our grand daughter who is 5 held onto life until early Teusday morning when God called her home. We are grief stricken and lost and could use you're prayers.
 
Posts: 52
Location: Jersey Shore PA
6
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I'm so sorry for your lost. Sending the best mojo and blessings you and your families way.
 
Tommie Hockett
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Well it has been around a month since tragedy struck my homestead and it is still hard to live day to day but it is slowly getting easier to breathe. But today God saw fit to bless us with 2 doelings
20171222_130315.jpg
[Thumbnail for 20171222_130315.jpg]
20171222_130258.jpg
[Thumbnail for 20171222_130258.jpg]
20171222_130245.jpg
[Thumbnail for 20171222_130245.jpg]
20171222_130219.jpg
[Thumbnail for 20171222_130219.jpg]
20171222_130152.jpg
[Thumbnail for 20171222_130152.jpg]
 
pollinator
Posts: 5347
Location: Bendigo , Australia
477
plumbing earthworks bee building homestead greening the desert
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
If you can get rabbits that lay eggs also that will help the cash flow
 
Tommie Hockett
Posts: 64
Location: Callisburg Texas
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Wow john C. Daley
The coincidence is I had a farmer drop off a bale of alfalfa for free and told my wofe that his hay was the secret to getting rabbits to lay good eggs lol
 
God is a comedian playing for an audience that is afraid to laugh - Voltair. tiny ad:
Unlock Free Wood Plans! Download free projects and create unique pieces now!
https:/the-art-of-regenerative-wood-working/
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic