What are
/r/homestead's
favorite Products & Services?
From 3.5 billion Reddit comments
The most popular Products mentioned in /r/homestead:
The most popular Services mentioned in /r/homestead:
Instructables
eHow
Wikimedia Commons
Barnes & Noble
The Weather Channel
Jet.com
Airbnb
iSmart.Life
Internet Archive
Dictionary.com
Encyclopædia Britannica
SlideShare
Google Play Books
Wordnik
Hotfile.com
The most popular Android Apps mentioned in /r/homestead:
The most popular reviews in /r/homestead:
For beginner's guides, anything by Storey's is a good start. For example:
Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance https://www.amazon.com/dp/1580172024/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kRtfCbNP565HZ
You can also do this at Costco, and they aren't limiting it to California, Arizona, New York and Oregon
Get a book. I, too, started with hardware and not knowing what I was doing. But reading helped. It might be cliche, but this book actually helped me out a lot when I was getting started.
One of these should work just fine for you.
Hippocrates did some good things, but you'd be insane to think that his 2,400 year old prescriptions are superior to modern medicine. He didn't understand even basic concepts like sanitation, or bacterial infection.
And anyway, Hippocrates never even said that. It's a mis-attribution someone made up.
Time to put in a "Raven door". Maybe replace a small window with small doggy door with a little flap to help keep weather out?
Edit: something like this
I recondition batteries all of the time. You only need to have a battery charger that has a recondition option.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-15A-Battery-Charger-with-40A-Engine-Start/38243759
I recently brought back a few car batteries to life, seeing how this was $40 and a standard battery costs $90, it pays for itself after one use.
Also, after personally seeing that Lead acid starts eating concrete in under a minute, I would not want to handle lead acid without a chemical resistant apron, long sleeves, and a respirator.
"Permaculture" that's the phrase yo uwant to start researching.
One of the aspects of Permaculture is how to use the natural characteristics of the land to design "best uses". whether it's building swales to slow drainage, or cutting them to prevent flooding. or planting/not planting a garden bed under/near a series of trees that only allow intermittent sunlight.
There's a bit of nuance to it, but it ties together fairly simply....
There's a book out there too I can't seem to find, it was called "5 acres and a ... [Something]" HAH! found it... "5 acres and Independence". (Also, FYI, this is my favorite book selling site, EVER. I used to buy/sell books for a living, and this really is a phenomenal resource for finding older books). I haven't read it in a few years, but I do remember it being a solid resource for some of what you're looking for.
Anyhow, I hope this helps some.
Good Luck!
Because he’s a year old, you’ll want to treat him like a Stew Hen after butchering. The older they are, the better they taste but the tougher the meat. Let his carcass sit in the fridge on a cooling rack (with a pan underneath) for 24 hours to let the rigor pass. After that, cook him low & slow. I use the crock pot/slow cooker. Just add water, salt, & pepper. You’ll end up with a great chicken stock to use in future soups. The meat can be eaten as is, or add various sauces on it for meal variation (chicken Alfredo & noodles one night, chicken curry & rice, pulled chicken with ranch dressing on bun, etc). We then take the bones & cook them in the pressure cooker, then throw them in the blender. We add that to the dogs food or the compost pile.
Here’s a book we have & love: Butchering Poultry, Rabbit, Lamb, Goat, and Pork: The Comprehensive Ph... https://www.amazon.com/dp/1612121829/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glt_fabc_RZJAXNN1BEDCESRKVWC5
We got our kill comes from www.priemere1.com. I think they carry full kits as well.
Best of luck to you.
That's a pretty common tree. Here's what I would do... Go to Google image search and type in "Red Maple map", and take a look at the results.
Looks like that tree is local to your area. In which case, it isn't going to need too special of care. To be sure, you can google image search for "Red Maple in Chicago". If you do this, you can see that they don't need to be elevated (dry), or near a creek at all.
That being said, Trees of all kinds will benefit from being mulched, especially apple and pear trees.
Happy tree-ing!
~Evan
So you’re currently using one like this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NQ925K/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glt_fabc_QBS0NRRHTMS09Y8YFAB4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Professional chef here, the one I linked to is the one I use in my personal kitchen. The trick to any of them is to line it up correctly. When placing the cherry in, I line up the stem attachment point with the part that pits them. It takes attention to detail but really, that’s all aspects of cooking if you think about it.
I hope that helps a bit. I also hope that the damn deer don’t discover your fruit trees they way they did ours.
And then the things they will need to work on all the projects. (Most others have mentioned most of the tools)
Included stuff.....
>The completely revised American Edition includes:
The Greatest Paper Airplane in the World
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
The Five Knots Every Boy Should Know
Stickball
Slingshots
Fossils
Building a Treehouse*
Making a Bow and Arrow
Fishing (revised with US Fish)
Timers and Tripwires
Baseball's "Most Valuable Players"
Famous Battles-Including Lexington and Concord, The Alamo, and Gettysburg
Spies-Codes and Ciphers
Making a Go-Cart
Navajo Code Talkers' Dictionary
Girls
Cloud Formations
The States of the U.S.
Mountains of the U.S.
Navigation
The Declaration of Independence
Skimming Stones
Making a Periscope
The Ten Commandments
Common US Trees
Timeline of American History
There are some others that amazon suggests if you want to grab a couple
These also make durable and simple skeletons (frames?) for plastic covered greenhouses. The “spring” you get from bendingthe panel gives great rigidity, but be careful, they can get away from you during assembly. We used these to anchor the ends and they worked great: Trident Fence 18 inch Steel J Hook Rebar Ground Stakes (12 Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZHNDT54/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_H48zFb4WNJ1CE
If I was you, the first thing I would do is head down to the library and check out The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt and read that first. Then I would start reading anything you can find about farming and being self sufficient.
Podcasts are probably a better deal for variety and convenience. Set up a laptop with something like gPodder and subscribe to a lot of shows. Drive into town for the nearest WiFi for your supplemental groceries etc and download your subscriptions.
Listen to them whenever you like and you also get the "TiVo" benefits of pause, rewind and multiple listenings—and no need to fiddle with the radio at odd hours of the day and night to AM DX. You're on a homestead for crying outloud—aren't you tired!? ;)
Indeed they can be "expensive", but it depends what you are getting.
https://www.jofogas.hu/magyarorszag?q=mangalica
You can see 500 and 600Ft for sale (https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=500&From=HUF&To=USD).
The most expensive one on that list now is 140,000Ft (477.04USD).
What is your insight that I am missing?
A mobile home is an altogether different case as they can be built in a variety of ways, but that is a realm outside my expertise. Often times they're attached to a structure similar to a tractor trailer chassis that is connected to wheels and/or steel "legs". I have no clue if there's a standard practice of construction (as there is with typical homes) but if the home is designed to actually bear on a foundation, of any nature, you'll want that on stable soil, thus that structure should bear on soil below the frost line.
Edit: If you want to learn more about construction, Francis D.K. Ching's <em>Building Construction Illustrated</em> is a great resource to teach yourself basic knowledge of building systems and methods.
Use the berry screen from the link below to make seed free jams and jellies. I have one and it works great. After using it, you'll need to take a toothpick and poke the seeds out of the holes while cleaning it though.
https://www.amazon.com/Four-Piece-Accessory-Strainer-VICTORIO-VKP250-5/dp/B002SVZJ0A
If you're okay with basic, here are some boots out family used for over a year and they're still holding up. We have two pairs and wish they came in kid sizes!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002WN2SY4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
This is genius. May I recommend adding runners to the bottom to help keep it inline when pulling? I added plastic bars to the bottom of one of my sleds and it helps quite a bit.
​
Something like this : https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Fixtures-Durable-Material-Bandsaws/dp/B07GBDF4DM
Looks like you got the wrong thing mate.
You need something like this, but the hose it comes with is too short. I replaced mine with a washing machine hose.z
What you got connects to the bottom of the downspout to redirect water away from the foundation.
​
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003E1RJVU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Edit: I've seen a guy on youtube drill a well with one of these. In which he attached a hand pump.
Your new part of your life HAS started. This is part of it, so savor and enjoy it. Soon you will be looking back on this part, sooner than you know. I recommend you do research into the philosophy of Stoicism. Read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and Letters from a Stoic by Seneca. Live in the moment.
The internet archive is a great ressource for all kind. It is not the newest state of the art research, but you still find ton of old stuff that still can be used today.
https://archive.org/details/The_Owner_Built_Homestead
Just play arround with some keywords in the search bar.
Check out the pictures mshaver posted. I don't think that the whole slab has to be reinforced, but you definitely don't want the sides of the pit to collapse. Looking at the pictures, it appears the company welds the pit together, and lowers the entire assembly into the ground. A quick Google search for vehicle inspection pit turned up several interesting ideas.
Freeze distilling is the reason we have all these myths about standard homemade being toxic and causing blindness. The book "The Drunken Botanist" by Amy Stewart (great read) nipped this process in the bud early on. https://books.google.com/books?id=KB27UYg0hLoC&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=the+drunken+botanist+freeze+distilling&source=bl&ots=MtmMWZiLh5&sig=uAiU37hpfOvf0cpTZP59f6nE2yQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=npMiVaiHKaTHsQT34oDwDw&ved=0CD...
Worms Eat My Garbage is pretty much the definitive reference for home vermicomposting.
However I'm starting to think that continuous-flow systems like this are the way to go. Who wants to sort through a big bin full of worms and food scraps?
You can find/make wood inserts. They are much more efficient, but still not as good as a wood stove.
Google has scans of a bunch of Ag books from the 18th-20th centuries (For Example), I'm sure you can find ideas in some of them.
Not sure if it's the same one but GeoGuessr is still around. :)
And I'm pretty good at it! Although I must admit that I do cheat and google phone numbers on billboards sometimes when I'm stuck, or google towns on roadway markers.
In case anyone is interested in reading / listening to the experiences of someone who lives up in Alaska:
https://www.audible.com/pd/Bios-Memoirs/The-Final-Frontiersman-Audiobook/B017S1Z1RK
I can send the book free to anyone who has never received one. Happy to do so for anyone who PMs me their email address.
Disclaimer: There's nothing in it for me other than to be a nice person.
~~Fist~~ First master this then this.
No joke, they are fun and will give you an idea of the physics involved. Though in practice you'll probably just lay out a couple of strong beams and plank it but make sure what the beams rest on is firm and can't erode or all the work will be for naught. Oh, and I'd double your estimate load, this should help cover any shortfalls in material, design and the work of mother nature / father time on your finished product.
https://www.bing.com/search?setmkt=en-US&q=wood+stove+site%3Areddit.com
/r/homestead and /r/DIY seem to be pretty knowledgeable about wood stoves per that search. Not sure a separate sub is necessary, or that it will get enough people there to have a good consensus of knowledge.
You don't have to be a homesteader to read the info here or to ask questions. I'm not - I live in suburbia hell, but I can still use all the info here the same as if I didn't.
Add some wind breaks. Like lattice on the outside. Still let’s rain and sun through but breaks up the wind.
You could also use some kind of strength outside to kind of tie them together. If you can find some of those triangle tomato cages and attach them to each other that will work.
Haha. I actually love this wedding band. I've wore the qualo ones for years but my hands got even thicker somehow and needed a new one. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SD8JZT5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_NJRV4DTSJ5CAD59CQNTP?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
The mouse has to lift the trigger to get at the bait so they can't take the bait without triggering the trap.
Nice. They make a commercial version of this too https://www.amazon.com/Rain-Harvesting-Pty-Ltd-Advanced/dp/B004VMG05C
Its what I have, but I think I payed a lot less than what amazon is asking for there.
Hopefully you have a leaf guard over top of the gutters too, you really want multiple layers of filtering to keep it as clean as possible.
Honestly I think my partner bought mine from amazon... https://www.amazon.com/Aiden-Brothers-Release-Headphone-Adjustable/dp/B07C6XJLRM/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=sturdy+apron&qid=1618881950&sr=8-5
something like that, except mine is not XXL and it does have that strappy back which I don't love because its complicated to put on and take off, but when I wear it to butcher, etc it is incredible.
Oh it was truly nothing fancy, lol. If I were using OP’s house as an example you’d run the cord that raises the door through the wall to the motor mounted on something on the inside. Just a bit of plastic with a glorified fishing reel on a motor really. Might want something to smooth out the cord’s path though like a pulley wheel on this side of the wall or something.
Here’s the motor:
Add-A-Motor Chicken Coop... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007IZJWNQ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
If you’re able, a system like OP linked is worth it for the convenience.
If you’re like me and just piecing together whatever from light stands to pots, I have some of these I really like
LED Grow Light for Indoor Plants,YGROW Upgraded 75W Growing Lamp Light Bulbs with Exclusive Full Spectrum for Greenhouse Vegetables Plants from Seeding to Harvest https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CYXT8R1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_7KHKBEHMCZHS3PDV6H5G?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Now that current model no longer available, but same vendor has newer 75W options and an interesting looking 100W white LED option under $35
Compared to another cheap weaker LED and my 4’ T5 set up similar to OP, this produced seedlings that were compact (in a positive way of height to # of true leaves) and produces much less heat in addition to not needing to be as close as fluoro to start.
We use large j hooks. They’re designed to keep fences down at the ground so animals can’t push under, but they work for keeping tomato cages an such too.
Trident Fence 18 inch Steel J Hook Rebar Ground Stakes (16 Pack) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZHN32B8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_P6MFF2GXPT3TWV7BXHJ9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Have you tried fenbendazole?
According to this site it might be worth a try. I give it to my livestock on a pretty regular basis.
Amazon link although a feed store might be faster. They have different size bottles, too.
Best of luck!
In addition to what /u/jmmnr said, I got these spiles from Amazon.
I had been using vinyl tubing (cheap and flexible, but probably not a good idea long term), this time I'm trying polyethylene (less flexible). And I use gallon milk jugs to collect the sap. Drill a hole 2-2.5 inches into the south-facing side of the tree about 3-3.5 feet above the ground, tap the spile in, and connect your hose. Better if you can position the spile above a major root.
Yeah sure! We have a huge steel frame greenhouse in a large barn that’s the coop for all of our birds, the chickens and turkey use roosts and the we have 2 big plastic dog kennels filled with straw that the geese and ducks sleep in. Waterfowl like to be on the floor so this works really well for them. We don’t have a run, our yard is about 1/2 acre surrounded by 7ft high fencing so they’re pretty secure in there. I’m assuming your in the US so I’ll link to the US amazon site the pool we use here . I have noticed the geese more so than the ducks don’t like using steps so we have a pallet with the gaps filled in that rests up to the pool for them to use like a ramp. Of the pools I’ve tried this has been the best. It’s deep enough for them to swim and long enough for them to chase each other around on the water which they love doing. If you want anymore info, let me know!
Artist Canvas Apron with Pockets Painting Apron Adjustable Neck Strap/Waist Ties Painter Aprons for Women Men Art Gardening Apron Adjustable M-XXL https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075SZ96YF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_RRPuFbHZ5RFKW
Invest in the Tecnu line while you're currently dealing with the rash (its actually not to expensive and works). They also make a scrub and some type of preventative. I haven't used the preventative, but the missus and I have used the others to good success.
https://www.amazon.com/Tecnu-Extreme-Removes-Poisonous-Itching/dp/B0007IOVZK
The great news is your goals and dreams are super realistic. Even a home on the smallest amount of land can be turned into a farm.
There are lots of good books on the subject, but check this one out.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0865717656/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_P6xlFbG6FJHFF
Personally, I've turned my small lot into raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and grapes. All super low maintenance and all super rewarding with how much they produce.
Can do something like these. You can also use a rubber bushing between a pipe clamp. That will insulate the post from the wire.
https://www.amazon.com/RED-SNAPR-TC10-Clamp-Insulator/dp/B0170504QM/
I use a Paul Revereware percolator for camping, and we use wrap around filters to keep the coffee ground contained. https://www.amazon.com/Melitta-Coffee-Filters-Percolators-40-Count/dp/B000GHI7FM?th=1
I found the addition of one of these to be a help moving the warm air into more of the room
Check out a book called The Woodlot Management Handbook. It's got awesome charts for what the optimal spacing of trees should be based on their sizes, and how many of each size you should have. I'm slowly rehabilitating my 20 acres and it's been invaluable in getting the forest healthy again.
This is pretty much from the horses mouth.
That's pretty good. I only did a brief search and only saw 6g/m^2 /day. Looking at the nutritional values (and it seems very high, esp in calories and protein), the best that I could find was 6g/m^2 /day. 7m^2 would provide pretty much 100% of food requirements to stay alive.
Looks amazing. Do you think if you added these acrylic shelf dividers, it might organize the jars into sections. Just a thought.
Any whole house 20" water filter system should work. I have a single stage filter on my well & it works great. I honestly forgot I had it and the filter lasted 10 years before I changed it. Now I change it once a year using a 1 micron filter.
Do you have access from underneath, like from a basement or crall space? If you do there are products called "squeak enders"
The hook goes around the floor joist, the other end screws to the bottom of the floor board and you tighten the screw in the middle to pull the board down. Honestly though it looks like this is not one board getting frisky, but all the boards slowly changing dimension with environmental changes. Short of tearing it out and replacing it, the best solution might be to reinforce the attachment points and sand it down flat and refinish.
Rodent control. It's one of the ugly things homesteaders don't like to talk about. I don't believe it's ethical to keep free roaming barn cats due to how invasive they are and non target native wild like they kill. I also don't want to second hand poison wildlife so that leaves trapping. I'm getting quite good at it. By the way highly recommend this rat trap. It's worth every penny, my current record is 28 in one night in that trap. I've got my feed all in 30gal metal garbage cans, I don't leave any out. The only real source now is my compost pile, I wish they made some of those tumble style with 55 steel barrels. Or some other 100% rat proof composter. So what I would do different. Keep two composite piles, a green stuff and poop pile and a tasty snacks pile in a rodent proof tumbler type deal.
Deep hotel pans. Because you are going to have to reduce a lot of juiced tomatoes for a years worth. For reducing you don't necessarily want a tall stock pot but rather surface area to boil the water off. Put it over two burners and boil away, just keep an eye on it.
Mostly I wear something like these, and these are $1.33 a pair: https://www.amazon.com/Grease-Monkey-Nitrile-Coated-Gloves/dp/B07K9JCKP6/ref=asc_df_B07K9JCKP6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=416746798955&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13351764171261765092&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&h...
You can buy USB Socks that heat your feet. If you have warm feet, you'll have a warm body. It's my trick for when I'm standing on an unheated slab in the garage for hours on end doing leather work.
Schierman Springs, Saint John, Washington is one example that I know of, https://www.inwoasis.com
They can also be foundnd on Facebook and Airbnb https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5914153 and Hipcamp www.hipcamp.com/washington/schierman-springs/schierman-springs
When I was pretty young my family had chickens and a few pheasants. The pheasants were all eaten when they were young. My memory is pretty shotty but I think it was because of number six in this list.
Looks like the installer didn't use enough of this stuff to seal the stove pipe.
https://www.amazon.com/MEECOS-RED-DEVIL-110-Gasket/dp/B000LNWLDU
Call the installer back up and make them fix this. 100% not acceptable and poses a significant health risk.
That can happen at startup when the stove pipe is filled with cool air. It might help to burn with the door open until the flue is hot. You can also seal those joints with a high temp sealant called mill pac
There’s a lot of other things that can cause poor draw, stove fans creating negative pressure in the house, too many bends in the vent system, animal nests, etc.
I use Spectracide Fire Ant Shield Mound Destroyer Granules - it's cheap and effective. Follow the instructions on the package and keep the mound moist for few days - I used a shovel to turn up the soil and expose more of the colony before applying the product though. I had a raging mound by my front door & it totally disappeared in a couple of days.
Pantry moth traps. Toss out all affected food. Install pantry moth traps. Keep cereals etc in plastic Tupperware-type containers. I had this problem years ago and solved it this way.
This book was the best resource of the books I read when I started keeping chickens 10 years ago. An updated version of the book is coming out next month!
The Small-Scale Poultry Flock: An All-Natural Approach to Raising Chickens
What am I looking at here? Are those re-used lids from commercial jars? Are those re-used jars? If you want to take the risk of using this food, go for it. Please do not feed it to unsuspecting persons.
Get a copy of this book It not only tells you how to safely can food, it is a great resource for smoking, freezing and dehydrating foods.
You could get a propane tank and screw on heater like this...
it may not be sexy but it will be hot.
I'm planning to setup my LED light today and just ordered this to heat my 3 gallon double wall poultry waterer.
I've got a small pre-fab above ground coop and keep the food & water caged in beneath.
I currently have 3 hens that I got as chicks last Spring and as far as I can tell only two of them are laying. The 3rd one is a follower and bottom of pecking order and I cannot find her eggs if she has been laying. I've read that it can take up to 6 months for them to start laying and the the top of pecking order usually lays first.
Thank you for the feedback and support!
There are facial pieces you can buy to add to a tree that make them look like Ents. I've seen them in garden stores. It's a nose, two ears, two eyes and lips. You nail them on a tree or wall. Always makes me smile and think of LOTR when I see them occasionally around homes when they do a tree face.
Link below shows an example.
https://www.amazon.com/INNOLITES-Features-Decoration-Decorations-Creative/dp/B08T22S9WZ/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=tree+faces&qid=1666189635&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI2Ljk4IiwicXNhIjoiNi45NiIsInFzcCI6IjYuNTgifQ%3D%3D&sr=8-11
Hand crank grain mill - tons of selection and most are under 100 bucks. Even the 304 Stainless Steel Professional Manual Grain Grinder is under $100 right now.
Hey u/_ChairmanMeow- I have this exact setup, and it holds up well! This is my 5th year. The first year I hand cranked it and was surprised by how out of shape I was. I've added this motor to the apple grinder (when it was half as expensive) - it's scary powerful. This contraption needs to be taken hella seriously as it's basically a wood-chipper.
Last year, unfortunately, the bladder burst (with a full batch of apple mash). I was able to replace it with this replacement bladder made for the Spiedel. As far as I can tell, it was an exact match and worked perfectly.
I certainly owe this build & process a full writeup here, but I hope that replacement bladder helps.
Cheers!
Some questions: Is this a regular garden hose? Do I understand correctly that it is buried from your spring to a place where is comes up in a field? If buried, how deep? Is it pressurized? Do you open a valve or what? How? What is your lowest temp? How often do you use it? A better permanent solution is to bury a water line below frost level and install a frost proof water hydrant in the location you need the water. The mechanism and water supply is below the frost level. We use these all the time. https://www.amazon.com/Frost-Free-Yard-Hydrant-Depth-Green/dp/B086W5BQ1Q/ref=sr\_1\_17\_sspa?keywords=Freeze%2BProof%2BFaucet&qid=1664815826&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI1LjM5IiwicXNhIjoiNS4yOSIsInFzcCI6IjUuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sr=8-17-spons&ufe=app\_do%...
If you only use it once or twice a year, maybe that unit from HF will work out for you. This is what I would suggest for a novice to saw chain maintenance: Tecomec bar mounted filing jig. This Granberg is decent too, but I have a granberg and a tecomec jig and I like the tecomec better.
You will more than likely destroy your chains with any electric grinder if you start there.
My lawn was easily 100 times worse than this. I thought I must have had like 10 moles living in my yard and it turned out to just be 2! It was unbelievable. The easiest quickest way is to get a mole trap. Something like this. I bought one like this.
Here is what you do. Push down all the hills in the yard. When the next one pops up you go dig into it with your hands. Open if up a little by just pulling up some grass and dirt to male the hole bigger and reach down and you will be able to feel where the two tunnels coming into the molehill are. Set up the trap so the mole will go through it next times he comes through the tunnel.
After setting the trap you put a black bucket over it upside down and cover the rim of the bucket with the dirt you pulled out to make the hole big enough for the trap to fit into. This is so no light gets into the hole. Check the trap the next morning and usually you will have a dead mole. If not, reset the trap and another day should do the trick.
I have 2 acres and it used to be absolutely full of mole hills. Now if I see a new hill I set the trap and usually within a day or two the problem is solved. People like to make it very complicated with shoving gas and exhaust down the holes, but all you need is one of these traps. You may not think it'll work but try it. You will be surprised.
Like someone else said: get this book! https://www.amazon.com/Butchering-Poultry-Rabbit-Lamb-Goat/dp/1612121829
​
It's the definite guide in my opinion!
>Butchering by Adam Danforth
Yes, I came here to recommend this book! I cannot over-recommend it. So many - explicit - pictures, but it really helped me a lot. I did all the animals in that book, and I learned so much from it!
​
This book: https://www.amazon.com/Butchering-Poultry-Rabbit-Lamb-Goat/dp/1612121829
You bought something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07787J8R2?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1 ?
I currently use the Weston/Roma Crusher (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XB5UHE/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza) from Amazon. I have to quarter the apples first, which is by far the most time consuming part. I'd love to have a solution to simply crush whole apples (without spending +1k on the Spiedel product).
I'd like a product with more than 5 reviews (as I doubt the authenticity at that volume). Other sites have zero reviews.
Lastly, do you have a crusher that does whole apples?
This one has been going strong for two years in my MA basement near the ocean.
Heads up - they will sit on the metal food thing you have and the one I originally bought ended up having sharp corners they could cut themselves on, because it cut me.
I changed to a feeder and waterer they cannot stand on and hung it from the cage around the edge so it was out of the way like you did.
These serve me well in the brooder and also in the hen house:
The book is called "Animal, vegetable, miracle " By Barbra Kingsolver. Give it a read. Not a dig. I want you to read it. Sincerely.
Sorry for your loss; that's kinda painful. I know it's too late for this instance, but get a freezer alarm for next time. I saw some recommended on another homestead group, and I ordered them immediately. Amazon, $20ish for a 2-pack. These aren't wifi, and they're audible but not like tornado-siren loud. My freezer is in the basement, and I keep the receiver in the kitchen so I can check it periodically.
I picket up one of these on Prime Day: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089GLHRNV
It's a little fidgety to set it up, but once you get it, it quickly gets you to razor sharpness.
I want the Work Sharp Ken Onion, or a Tormek, but price is a limitation right now.
I have one just like that but then I also have this coming off of it. Several drip stations running from the timer to water a garden/orchard.
12v dc pump with a car battery (Or solar panel with lithium battery)... you can get cheaper ones or higher GPM.. but this is the easiest way for consistent longterm use... or you could do a 120V pond pump if you have electric near..
https://www.amazon.com/Shurflo-Fresh-Water-12Vdc-1-0Gpm/dp/B0141ODGBA
Haven’t read it myself, but this book was recently recommended to me: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1933392592/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=YGcYu&content-id=amzn1.sym.c76ac81c-f633-4530-a41a-1a6aa9c86690&pf_rd_p=c76ac81c-f633-4530-a41a-1a6aa9c86690&pf_rd_r=XE6ZA1A0HG1HQ41CS2BR&pd_rd_wg=i26M1&pd_rd_r=3...
these are the only ones with auto-flushing that im aware of
Hey I balcony gardened before-- you'll want drip trays so your landlord/downstairs neighbors won't be upset by spilled water. example of trays
Also it's a good idea to get a bird feeder, for your plants and balcony bird watching. For whatever reason, once I invited birds, the bees/butterflies came in droves to pollinate. You can also hand pollinate with a qtip until the bees come around. You can get suction cup feeders like this one on amazon
I bought this one: https://www.amazon.com/Weston-Pro-2300-Commercial-Stainless-65-0201/dp/B001GP81R2 It’s been close to 15 years and I’ve only replaced the heating element and fan. I’ve done a few thousand chickens, a dozen or so pigs, dozens of deer as well as all kinds of assorted other things. It works great.
I am left handed and have found it fairly easy to adapt to things, because that is how they are and there is not really any other option on the table. Most tools are ambidextrous, although right handed scissors are the biggest PITA to use. Maybe get him a nice machete or something to replace the sickle with. FYI just did a search and found this on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/HACHIEMON-Japanese-Weeding-Left-Handed-Version/dp/B083FYC2CR
Not sure if its what you are looking for?
https://www.amazon.com/Goat-Health-Care-Cheryl-Smith/dp/061524484X
cheryl k smith has several great books on goat health, this is the one we have and i endorse it. and yes, a goat with diarrhea is a bad sign. it could be many things, best to consult with a vet as you learn your way to care for the goats.
>Does Sawyer's The Extractor™ Pump Kit really work to effectively treat venomous snake bites?
how are they getting 2076 mostly positive ratings when it doesn't work haha https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-B4-Extractor-Pump/dp/B000AU9PEC/ --- i mean are people thinking it does work when they've been bitten by a copperhead, rattlesnake, coral snake, moccasin, or whatever here in the usa....BUT here's the big question, if it doesn't work then how are they able to leave the review?
> Bigger is safer but I’ve never heard of a case of even a .22 failing against a black bear
As the saying goes, 22 rimfire is perfectly effective to protect yourself against bear attack, but requires careful shot placement -- >!specifically, to the kneecap of your slowest travel companion!<
Here's a description of .22lr failure against black bear:
>> One. Two. Three. Four. If anything, these rounds just angered her more.
>> Five. Six. Seven. Eight.
>> Click…
"Guides' Tales of Adventure" page 62.