Hanna Sanders

I have found this thread so comforting! I see now that it’s not just me! I, like a few of you, have ehlers-danlos syndrome. I hurt ALL the time and have constant fatigue. Problem is, my mind is hyper. I’m guessing a lot of you are that way as well, or you wouldn’t choose to be a homesteader... I have sooo many thing I want to do, and I try to do, but my body can’t keep up. I truly enjoy the work, but I often find myself over-doing it, and regretting it later.

I am a 33 year old, homeschooling mom of 4 (ages 2, 4, 8, & 10). Husband works out of town a lot, so I pretty much take care of things by myself. My strategy is similar to many of y’all’s.  I work in spurts and take frequent breaks.  I have also learned to fully expect not to get as much done as I’d like. I need to be a morning  person and get my priorities done early in the day, because oftentimes, by noon, I am completely spent and have to quit. So, I plan and design things accordingly. I do very little in the way of gardening, but I do have some fruit and nut trees and lots of wild blackberries. I actually find livestock to be easier and less time consuming than gardening. We have one horse, several mini donkeys we raise as a source of extra income as they are practically maintenance free, chickens of course, and a dairy jersey that I machine milk once a day. I only allow myself animals that don’t have to be fed daily. The chicken feed is in a big auto-feeding bin, so all I do on most days is top off their water and collect eggs. We have 36 acres with several ponds, so plenty of grazing and water for everyone. I only feed them as treats. It is not a daily chore. My favorite time of day is when I get to go out and milk. The cow comes when you call her name and I get to peacefully milk in the barn, BY MYSELF, because I make my kids stay in the house. That is my “me time!” I drag my milk back to the house in a wagon to avoid too much heavy lifting as she gives 2-3 gallons a day. I think depending on your setup, that livestock are actually very easy and rewarding. I would suggest getting animals only if you’re able to avoid feeding them daily. We plan to get a few beef cows this spring to butcher/sell. A food forest is a goal of mine. I’m also, slowly (VERY slowly) building a little cob house out of pallets, straw, and cob... just for fun. I’m sure it’ll take me years and years to finish it. But I love the work and I believe no matter if your ailment be physical, psychological, mental, etc., the homesteading lifestyle is the best way to live for your overall health!

Thanks for those opinions. Our frost line is 12”. I had planned to dig around 24” deep x 24” wide, line with feed bags and hoping to avoid putting a pipe in. It is a very well draining area. I could easily put part shale/ part rocks. That may just ease my mind enough.

I am planning a cob house and have a lot of shale on my property. Does anyone know if shale is suitable fill for a rubble trench?

Hi Liv, thanks for following up. We have a big traditional horse barn with 5 extra large stalls. I am planning to turn the stall adjacent the tack room into a little milking parlor, keeping it clean and closed so the horse, donkeys, etc. can’t get in there and dirty it up. I plan to put together a stanchion of some sort out of 2x4’s (or maybe pallets) because that’s what she’s used to. She is a large jersey cow. 5 years old. Been hand and machine milked. They milk her from behind instead of the side and have her in a stanchion where she eats feed while being milked. She last calved about 8 months ago I believe. She is very calm and well trained, but not much into being loved on or scratched. I have watched her being milked at the seller’s place. I have milked a goat a handful of times but it was a long time ago. I have 4 kids (10, 7, 4, and 2). We homeschool so they’re always underfoot. 😊 They usually come along and help me or play in the tack room when I do my daily barn chores. I figure I can relatively easily add milking to the mix. I enjoy the farm chores, so I don’t consider it “work.” The 2 older kids are very helpful. The cow is only being milked once a day, which I plan to continue. I like the cleanliness of a machine, but again, I’m just a simple person and would prefer to have 1 bucket vs. all those hoses and such to clean. I appreciate any and all suggestions/ advice!

I’d like to start a discussion on using a milking machine vs. hand milking a family cow. We are getting our first dairy cow this spring from a friend and she is currently in milk. I am kind of old-fashioned and have this idea I’d rather just hand milk into a bucket and keep things simple, but many people seem to think that’s a silly notion. I’ve been mulling the pros and cons for weeks. As far as machines go, anybody know any good and affordable options? Help me work this out y’all!

I am a new horse owner. We have 36 acres, 3 mini donkeys, 1 jersey cow, and 1 horse. I really want to plant some hydrangea. I know if eaten in large quantities, it is poisonous. Part of our land is wooded and who knows what all poison plants are out there...!? I know they have a natural instinct to avoid poisonous plants. SO, if there is plenty of other forage and they’re well-fed, they probably wouldn’t even be interested in the hydrangea right?? Would it be safe to plant if not? Thanks!!

That is exactly the information I was looking for. Thanks so much for the help!

I can’t seem to get a straight answer on this... do interior walls in a cob house need a rubble trench or any other type of foundation under them?? Or a stem wall??