Tips and Advice on all things Homestead related

Now if you've read my blog for any while you will already know that I grew up in the lush tropical jungle where ice was just something you really wanted to have in your glass of water. However, now living in Texas ice is something that falls from the sky about once or twice a year, usually at about the time when all the fruit trees have started to think that it's spring and the blossoms have begun to bloom. At the exact moment, that is exactly what has happened in the area where I live. The schools have all shut down, there are very few cars on the road and everything is frozen. Growing up in a jungle, I never really knew what to expect in a situation like this, but having lived here long enough I have come up with a few tips for keeping animals safe and well cared for even in an ice storm. I consider the most important part keeping them warm, enough food and water they can actually drink (as opposed to a block of ice). The food part is pretty obvious and when it's cold ...

I can listen to this song over and over again so I thought I'd share it here for you to enjoy too!

I have been raising milk goats for a few years now. I started out with mutt goats and have since upgraded to registered Nubian goats. I'm no expert by any means but I've learned a few ways to help keep my milk goats happy and productive. General health. If you want your goats to produce they must be healthy. Some of the ways to keep them healthy are just basic good husbandry including: Provide adequate shelter from cold, sun and rain. Goats do not like to get wet. They think they are made of sugar and will melt. Also, if they have to stand in wet or mud they are prone to foot rot, which is a horrible problem to have. They need a dry and warm (or cool in summer) place to rest and chew their cud. Provide adequate health care. This means make sure they are wormed regularly and properly. Do your research or ask a vet or other goat expert. Do fecal exams. Make sure they aren't carrying internal parasites. That is one of the most frequent and deadly problems in goat herds. ...

Just about a mile down the road from me is one of the most beautiful properties I've seen. It's on a quiet country road and has a pristine white board fence, a winding driveway up through the trees and at the top of the hill sits my dream house (sort of). It is white stone with that real rich looking decor and design. The barn is beautiful and it has the largest lake in the local area. I look longingly at it every time I happen to drive past and wonder what those people did to get that much money. The other day I was piddling around looking at real estate for sale, dreaming of a larger farm than the current one, and happened to notice that this particular one I just described was for sale! I clicked on it and sure enough, for 7.2 million dollars you could purchase it. That got me to thinking even more about how in the world people accumulate that much money. I'm sure I don't have all the answers but I might have a few ideas.. Here's what I came up with: 3 ways ...