what was your first year of homesteading like?

[kerry]

We moved into our first house at the end of last Summer. Previously we were in apartments and one house with a micro yard. Now we are almost 4 acres, which I'm sure is small compared to most of you, but is HUGE for us.

So, in the Fall we bought 7 laying hens. Easter day they escaped and the dogs killed one. Today, the dogs killed another and hurt a couple.

Our garden is so wet. We're going to probably need to do all raised gardening after this year. We can get free manure from a farmer down the road, but don't have access to a pick up to get it. We did do a raised herb garden, but something, probably the younger dog, keeps digging in it and I'm probably going to have to replant them.

We waited until the frosting was over, but then got tons of rain. So, the only things we've planted so far were corn (which doesn't seem to be coming up), potatoes, peas, spinach, broccoli, and melons. I think the potatoes are going to work out, but I don't know about the rest. We still have plenty of area to plant still.

My husband and boys planted a few tomato plants last night that we bought. Hopefully, we'll see something from them. We should have started seeds ourselves indoors, but things seemed to get in the way.

We got four ducks a month ago and one can't walk and his/her feathers aren't coming in. I'm glad that we brought them back inside yesterday or they would all be dead from the dogs' stunt today.

We have 10 new keets. so far, so good, but we've only have them for a 5 or 6 days.

I am feeling discouraged. My husband is too.
is this normal? I'm hoping that it has a lot to do with us still in the baby stages of homesteading. With my husband's job being so unstable lately, we're really wishing things were going better.

[shanzone2001]

I have learned that fences are my best friend. They keep animals out of places you don't want them and contain them where you do.
As far as gardening, it has taken me a few years to figure out what grows best when and where. I do some garden beds as well as planting directly into the ground. It takes a while to get some good compost going, but one you do it will mix well with your soil and hopefully increase your food production.
Until I started raising my own food, I never knew how much I didn't know!!!

[Curtis B]

Give it time. Some days/weeks/months/years are worse than others. Are you getting eggs yet? On some of the bad times you have to sit back and look at what is going well. When you get your first home grown tomato, potato, or other veg it will make the gardening frustration seam like the distant past, and you will be anxious for nest spring. I have had a bad season with my poultry and deaths, but I am taking it in stride, and learning from what happened with mine. Some times I think that staring down adversity/problems and learning to overcome is the most difficult, but it is the most rewarding. Keep at it.

[michelleIL]

Makes me appreciate starting slow in my rented yard with a small garden! I can learn the animals as that chance becomes available!

[Freeholder]

I don't remember my first year homesteading -- I was too small, LOL! (Was raised on a homestead in Alaska.)

Most of the troubles you are having are just because you are new, not set up for everything you are trying to do, don't have fences built, are letting the dogs have too much freedom (figure out what's more important to you -- and who the gardens and poultry are for), and are trying to start too many new projects at one time. It's best to start slowly, adding one new thing at a time.

On the guinea keets, I can tell you that you'll need to keep them locked up indoors until they are at least three months old, and preferably until they are older than that. We tried guineas once, didn't know that you had to keep them in that long, let them outside when they were eight weeks old, and they promptly went across the road into the woods and we never saw any of them again.

Kathleen

[TedH71]

If the dogs are killing the chickens, first thing they would get from me is a belt whooping. I'm serious. I do not tolerate chicken killing. I have heard tying a dead chicken to a dog's neck to the point where the dog can't get rid of it for a week works. Also depends on what breed of dogs you have. Some have the genetics for chicken killing compared to others.

[Helena]

Ah..Memories..the good old days !! Our first year really wasn't too much better. We moved from suburbs to a small town and then onto our 4 acres 30 years ago. Money was very "tight" but we did make it. We have animals come and go some from a natural death and others by dog execution...All our chickens are fenced in with their coop, goats, horses and peacocks too. If the pets don't get them wild animals will. It's just the way life is in the country. Don't get discouraged. The garden will eventually grow, raised beds or not. The chickens will survive and in a few years you will stand back and not be able to remember today. Just keep reminding yourself that you are learning to be more independent for your family in these times and the hard times ahead. remember why you wanted to live in the country. If something fails..just figure now you know what doesn't work. Wish you the best of luck...

[FarmersDaughter]

Don't get discouraged! Think of these things that have gone wrong as learning experiences.

I agree with others that it sounds like you need some fencing. If I were you, I'd put fencing around your gardens...not just to keep your dogs out, but also to keep other uninvited guests out.

Sorry if I overlooked your location, but I don't think you said where you're from. Don't worry so much that you haven't planted everything yet. I still have some things that haven't gone in the ground and that's fine. It's been rainy and cold here, so I'll wait until the weather is a little better. Some years I'm able to get things planted earlier than other years. You can't fight the weather...just go with what it gives you.

Since you've had a lot of rain, take the opportunity to look around your property and see which areas "pond" the quickest and don't drain well. This will help you figure out the places to avoid for garden spots.

I do not advocate whipping your dogs, as was suggested above! But some proper training or fencing an area for them to run, rather than allowing them to roam the entire property, would be a good idea.

Best wishes to you and keep your chin up.

[missmaggieeliza]

Really too long ago. Best memory of it was the old Muscovy duck that would climb a 6 foot fence to go lay her egg daily by the back door. Ah that was good except she ate half the garden to and from that nest daily.

From all that has happened I would agree with the others. Slow down a little and claim one project at a time. Dogs need a yard just for them. They seem to be one of your biggest troubles right now.

And I am going to take my own advice and give up on some plans I had for this summer and do it an easier way. My back is hurt and I will have to do what I can to get by. Having said this I feel so much more comfortable with life as I was starting to panic.

I am so sorry you have had so many troubles. I am glad you posted this as it just solved mine. I hope that does not come off sounding mean not intended to. Just learning from your misfortune.

Maggie

[SGFarm]

Yeah I know the feeling. We are two years in and have learned a lot and learned we still have a lot ot learn. Moved to 25 acres form a suburban bungalow. 80 year old house that is leaking and rotting and needing upgrades, a 80 year barn with holes in the roof and cracked floors, no water or power.

Perhaps our biggest mistake was starting too many things at once. We started a big garden, bought some sheep, wanted to try ducks and laying hens, a freind gave us some turkeys, a couple of pigs for the freezer and a pair of beef for family freezers. All of this before we got water and electrical sorted in the barn. Hoses and extension cords everywhere. No fences were good fences.

Still trying to clean up from that mess and still get frustrated some days but sit back and remember what it was like to have nieghbours and buying all of our food and remember why we moved out of town. Money is still really tight and will be for a few more years but the peace of mind from knowing what our meat ate is priceless.

Every day a small single improvement makes tha farm better. Some days that is as simple as taking out the garbage so there is less mess or tearing out plaster to be able to fix the rtted wood underneath but everything you do will make it better in the long run.

Good luck.

Mike

[TheMrs]

We're still in our first year as well and we're also struggling. Five months ago we moved from a 3/4 acre lot on a dead end street to our 30 acre property.

We bought 15 hens and have lost three of them to a hawk already. DH got laughed at when he asked for chicken feed without medication and also when the clerk at the lumber yard found out that he didn't have a "knob" on his SUV. The already established orchard that we were SO excited about has surprised us with brown rot and fire blight, so I'm spending the entire day pruning 11 apple trees, 2 pear, and 4 cherry to attempt to control it. Our pond that we were looking forward to fishing in seems to be lacking fish, but has plenty of turtles. Our garden is wet as well. I desperately need to go pick strawberries, but I'd be kneeling in four inches of muddy water to do it.

If I had to give this first year a title, I guess it would be "The Learning Curve" because we are definitely learning as we go. This may not comfort you, but it made me feel better to see that we weren't the only ones taking three steps forward and two steps back!

[hobbyfarmer]

Sounds frustrating and I can truly sympathize but it does get easier. Fences are a great place to start but we have pretty good fences and still have to chase the occasional cow or pig back into the pasture. They just LOVE to show you where the fence is weak.

DH and I have raised most of our own veggies for several years but tried all organic and heritage seeds last year and got nothing. Aside from a handful of squash, the garden was a total bust because even after all these years of gardening successfully, we still had a ton to learn about gardening organically in our soil.

We are raising almost all of our meat now and all of our eggs. The first experience in each was frustrating. Chickens getting killed off, predators stealing eggs, pigs running loose, goats stepping in the milk pail, cows running us over, etc. etc....it's ALWAYS tough until you learn the ropes but then it gets easier.

One day, you will sit down to a meal of fresh veggies, meats, fruits, and bread that all came from your own homestead or you'll sit on your back porch with a cup of coffee watching your hens pecking in the yard and your garden growing and everything you went through will be worth it. Hang in there!

[PulpFaction]

I don't know that there has ever been any real line of demarcation as far as homesteading goes for me.

By that, I mean....well, I've always done activities that would be considered very much in line with the homesteading ideal, but I've rarely had a homestead to do them on!

RIght now I live in a one-room studio in the hotel my BF and I manage and I have tomatoes growing in the windows and a rabbit colony in the back of my truck, but I consider myself a homesteader!

Discouragement and things going wrong is just part of the game. Finding solutions to problems we encounter along the way is probably the most important part of homesteading. Nobody gets it perfect the first time, sometimes there just really is no universal "works for everyone" solution, and real homesteading is about sticking it out, even when dogs eat your checkens and the rain washes away your crops.

Best of luck in the 2nd year, and don't give up!

[TedH71]

Keep in mind, I don't always advocate punishing your dogs but there are certain breeds that just have to be told no and when they keep doing it, they have to be taught that their bosses don't like it. Terriers, cur dog breeds, and a few others that come to mind are like this. My wife's lab mix always manages to nab a few baby birds every year and is so fast at catching then eating them that I don't always catch him. Last year, I finally caught him...you should have heard him hollering when I was done with him. He hasn't looked at a baby bird since. I know labs are bred to be bird dogs but they can be taught to leave 'em ALONE! He does not like to fetch and does not like water..is terrified of the rain when it rains around here. A huge 95 lb dog moaning at the door at the slightest sound of rain is what he looks like :-) Just incredibly hard headed. I suspect he may be crossed with a rottweiler by his appearance. He's a good dog otherwise. Just hardheaded.

[big rockpile]

The first night we was here had a tornado come through beat our Son with hail in his bed.

Had my Socks freeze to my feet one night.

My wife caught her clothes on fire trying to put a wild fire out.

Was hard keeping cool at night with out going to the river just before dark to cool down.

Had problem with neighbor stealing water out of our Rain Barrel while we was at work,broke our spicket

Lost our Wood pile before Winter was up to Wild Fire.

Road washed out so bad a Horse wouldn't walk it.

Had fun leveling in the House with dirt floors.

Thats all I can think of now,hard but fun.

big rockpile

[Spinner]

I was raised on a farm so I grew up learning from my parents. I'm sure they had the first year experience and made sure us kids didn't repeat their mistakes.

Even then, we had learning experiences. One year we ordered 300 chicks and kept them in a wooden box made from 4 x 8 plywood w/ a heat lamp. When they started getting wing feathers we would let them out to free range during the day. Before sundown us kids would catch them and put them back in their box for the night. Mom would stand at the box and count them as we brought them "home" for the night. Every night we'd have a few less than the night before. One of us kids seen a shetland pony snatch one up and eat it! We told mom and she didn't believe us. We got the "talk" about telling the truth and not shirking our duty to find every single chick every single night. Mom told dad our story about the pony chasing down a chick and eating it. He got a good laugh, I'm sure he thought we had good imaginations... then... he was out working and seen the pony eat a chick! We were vindicated...

The moral of this story is that even seasoned homesteaders can have losses. It's a lifelong learning experience. Every time you start something new, you'll have to learn it as if you were a newbie.

What kind of dog do you have? Some breeds are not good homestead dogs. You might want to do some research on what breeds are good for guarding animals instead of hunting them.

If you're just starting out with a garden, chicken coop, etc. and haven't already placed them, here's a site with a good idea for combining a chicken coop with a garden. I plan to put together a setup like it as soon as I can find a way to get the wire. I'll be using 6' chicken wire if I can arrange to trade for enough to complete the project.


PS: After over 50 years on a homestead, I learned an expensive lesson a few short years ago... I had free range chickens for years and was totally confused on why they weren't reproducing. I thought I had a bad batch of hens that weren't hatching chicks. One day we were tearing down a shed and found a mama hen with 13 newly hatched chicks. We had to move her, so we grabbed her first, put her in a safe place (safe for us so she couldn't flog us for messing with her chicks!) When we went back to get the chicks, there was only 12 there. We thought we had lost a chick. On the next trip, we lost ANOTHER chick. Then we caught the peacock with a chick in his mouth. Peacocks are beautiful birds, but I learned that I can't keep them and have free range chickens. They obviously consider newly hatched chicks to be gourmet food.

[Callieslamb]

Don't let discouragement stop your efforts. I think your first year has been fairly normal! LOL!! In fact, it resembled a few years I have had. The learning curve is why people need to start learning to do some of these things before there is an abolute need. That first garden can be quit scary! The pH level of the soil is often not right to get plants growing well. There are a TON of weeds. Critters that haven't been trained to stay away. If you keep at it eventually you will win.

[Big Dave]

It is all an experiment as far as the raising of the stock and food.Some stuff works and some stuff don't. Go with that that works.

[PyroDon]

Not really sure My memories fuzzy that far back, besides I couldnt walk yet.
theres a picture of me watering something around 18 months into it, I hated diapers .
Ive been told all I did the first year was some milking, sleeping, and fertilizing

[lmrose]

The first several years on our farm were incredibly difficult! We moved here in August too late to have much of a garden. We harvested what we could from the garden where we previously lived. However with no one at that house much we grew was stolen or eaten by rabbits, deer and birds.

At the new place the barn was leaning and needed fixing before animals could be moved in.It had to be straightened, the mow floor lowered to make room for hay storage and cement floors poured. Then we had to build goat pens and a horse stall.

Out side behind a fence was thirty years of accumulated garbage to get rid of. Thirty truck loads plus two more from the house with a pickup truck with high sides!Trash burners had to be emptied and all the ground where they were sifted with a screen to get rid of glass and nails and scrap iron.Fences had to be built all before the animals were moved here.The ground was hilly in places and swampy in others and hardly any level ground at all. We put in tile to drain the least hilly part so we could plant and have a hay field.

We ploughed with our horse and planted cover crops. The next Spring we planted a garden and up came WEEDS! Wire worms got into the potatoes, rust fly in the carrots, cabbabge worms attacked the cabbage and broccoli. Dandeloins thrived. Our goats ate the wild bamboo which was the only good thing that happened. I canned and we put up all the food we could for winter but it was barely enough.It took three years to get a decent garden adding seaweed and compost to the soil. Then deer came and we had to share the garden with them!

The first winter we nearly froze in this old house the drafts were so bad and we had rats and mice trying to share the place as we huddled by the wood stove. We lived in the kitchen the first five winters and hung blankets over doorways to keep the kitchen warm.

My husband had a job flower gardening those first five years and I started a dog grooming business at home during the summer. But money was scarce and we had kids at home. We barely paid the light bill and heated bath and wash water on the wood stoves.Did I mention the toilet didn't work and we flushed it with a bucket for several years? The only bath tub was an apartment sice metal one my husband got from the dump. He put ply wood sides on it and wheels so we could put it in the kitchen for baths where it was warm.One year we were so poor we couldn't afford toilet paper and had to cut up rags!

Roofs leaked and it rained in parts of the house and I had buckets set everywhere to catch rain. In the winter our house was so cold water would freeze indoors except for the kitchen by the stove.

Our experiece with the animals wasn't much better. The goats got lice from a buck we brought here to breed our goats. They got hoof rot from sheep someone gave to us. The horse got sick eating moldy haylage and almost died. Later a team we had spooked and ran away hooked to a mowing machine. The blade cut one horse and the other ran off dragging the mower and whiffle tree with my husband holding on for dear life! He manage to cut the harness with his jack knife and the horse continued right out on the wharf at the ocean. He fell off under the mower. She skidded to a stop and ran back banging up a neighbor's brand new truck which he parked in her way trying to stop her! We had to pay fo repairs! Altogether horse wrecked three mowers until we finally got a lazy old Clydesdale ten years ago who was used to working and nothing phases him.

We have been farming here 25 years now. Things have improved. The soil is rich and plants grow regardless if it is a dry year or wet one. The barn has a piece or two added on but still needs new doors made. The house got a new roof five years ago and it no longer rains indoors! I have a bathroom with a tub and toilet for 8 years now.It took 21 years but I finally have a kitchen with a sink and running water. Two years ago I got hot running water in the sink and bath tub.Five years ago we replaced one sill and a few windows.

There are still cracked ceiligs and walls and wood worms are eating the dining room floor boards.

Some years were too wet and others too dry. I opened a small second hand store 9 miles away in town and my husband continued gardening for others spring to fall. I rose at 4:30am to cook and can in the summer before leaving to walk 9 miles to work every day. at 5pm I left to walk 9 miles home. Sometimes I stayed at my store because I was too tired to walk home.

Not one or two years we struggled but ten long years until this place was paid for. Then we both quit working away from home and spent our time making what money we could from the farm and dealing with the gardening problems. We recycled long before it was popular and made things we needed that we had no money to buy.

The point is this. There is nothing easy or glamours about homesteading. It is hard work and things improve with time if you don't quit and give up.We started with out hardly any money to fall back on and were in survival mode for ten years.I always tell my husband there is no one else I would have wanted to go through this with. He is the ultimate survivor! The pay off is we are our own boss. We pay our taxes and live outside the system for the most part. Whether we have a lot or a little depends on our hard work and God's blessing. We have time to enjoy the sunsets and appreciate nature around us. We have learned alot about working smarter instead of harder and to do it without a lot of money.
To us this is not a job but a way of life and we love our life! Now I need to find Bill and see if he needs a nap too because after thinking and writing about all the hardship and work we did I am tired! That is only part of what we went through but I think you can get the picture.