Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Don't do it!



Don't do it! That is the subject of this post. I have been reading about chickens ending up in shelters and I have seen beautiful angora rabbits at a nearby shelter so I wanted to let everyone know my thoughts. Please read clear to the end or you will miss what I am trying to say.



If you are at the market (hopefully a local farmer's market) and you think to yourself Wow! We could really save some money by raising a garden and all of our own food, DONT DO IT!


If you are at a local feed store and come across some really cute fuzzy butt, baby chicks and think Wow! We can raise chickens so that we have our own homegrown eggs and meat, DONT DO IT!





Same thing goes for rabbits. I know they are cute and you can't imagine them being any problem but, DONT DO IT!




                                          What about these cute little goats? DONT DO IT!!!!




Don't do it that is until you have done all your research and maybe visited a local farm that raises the kinds of things you are interested in raising and see if you can help out for a day. And do not get them all at once, that would be way to overwhelming. Start out slow. If you do decide to visit a local farm please call and make arrangements ahead of time because farmers are busy busy people and cannot just drop everything to show you around but farmers do love to share what they do and alot of them like to talk so they will be happy to have you come over, just make sure it is a scheduled visit. The reason I say don't do it on the spur of the moment when you see these adorable chicks, and rabbits or those playful goat kids isn't because I do not love what I do because I do love it. I would not change the way I do things but I made sure it was what I wanted to do before I did it and not just because they were cute. Remember, those chicks turn into chickens including roosters, bunnies turn into rabbits, and goat kids turn into goat adults. Animals can be dirty and smelly and even though when I am out in public I am always clean, well, I am usually clean, oh who am I kidding I am sometimes clean, the majority of my days are spent with animals and let me tell you I don't always smell like roses. You also have to be willing to take care of these animals not only on the nice days but also on the rainy days, the cold days, the sweltering days, in other words ALL days. Like today it was pouring rain, and I mean pouring. The floor of the place where I milk was about 5 inches deep with water and everywhere was like a fast running creek so I decided I would hurry and milk her and then when it stopped pouring rain I would go out and feed everyone, that way I would not get as wet. Well, when I went out to the goat house the gushing current of rain had washed out the dirt under the side wall and the place was flooded so I had to get a shovel and dig up some mud to fix it. As you can imagine I was soaked and dirty! Another thing to remember is that animals don't always have the same ideas as you, they get out of their pens even when you think you have it reinforced tighter then Fort Knox! That sneaky little goat will still find a weakness and get out. Having a farm and raising your own animals is lots of work but it is also alot of fun. I love watching the baby goats playing. They like to jump around and chase each other. It is so funny to watch them chasing the chickens. Eating frest veggies and fruit from my garden is one of the most satisfying things there are and I think it tastes so much better. Knowing that my animals were very well cared for before they were put into our freezer also makes me feel good. I know what they were fed and how they were cared for and I think that is very important. And there is nothing better then standing outside and looking around and knowing that this is me and my life and I would not change it for anything. This post is in no way a post telling people not to raise their own food because I think that is an important thing to do but this IS a post telling people to make sure they research and are ready for the adventure they are about to go on because that is what it is. A wonderful, satisfying, life changing adventure and I am sure you will love it as long as you prepare.

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Have a blessed day everyone!!

~April

Our Simple Farm
This post was shared at   Simple Living Wednesdays
and also shared
The Self Sufficient HomeAcre
and also shared at Homeacre hop

6 comments:

  1. Excellent information! It's awesome to know exactly what you are feeding your family and to know animals were cared for properly.

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  2. Thank you Jeanne. I was hoping what I was saying was easily understood in my post. I love what I do and was worried people would think I was saying not to do all of this but I think knowing where your food comes is very important.

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  3. Hi April! I'm so glad you want to participate in the 7-Day Real Food challenge.
    Please send me an email to mari_backtonature@yahoo.com just to confirm. I'll send you a bit more info.
    I'm adding your name and blog to the list. Have a great day!

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  4. It really irritates me when they dye those chicks for Easter and then people end up with "cute" babies that grow up and they don't know what to do with them.

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  5. Great post! so many folks see the cute little baby bunnies or baby chicks and have no idea of the work involved to raise them. Thanks for sharing on the Home Acre Hop - look forward to seeing what you share this week! Nancy The Home Acre Hop

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  6. I try not to sell around Easter time. I want to sell to people who want to raise them not just surprise their kids with a cute pet.

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