How are you all prepping for your animals?

[Yooper]

Just wondering how you are prepping for your animals, especially those with chickens and goats. What supplies/necessities are you stocking up on?

[just me]

The biggest issue is the feed. We are trying to have several months of feed on hand, but it is tough. Otherwise, during the warm months, they can all free-feed if we have to.

We do try to have medications that might be needed as well.

[Salal Sue]

Have been rereading Diana Manseau's "Herbal Recipes for Farm Animals" and starting a list of herbs to grow or purchase. (Don't remember how I obtained the little book, probably online, no publisher, copyrighted 1997)

Also have "Keeping Livestock Healthy" by N. Bruce Haynes, DVM--copyright 1978, published by Garden Way Associates.

Any recommended livestock health resource material?

Have purchased vitamins for the dogs and extra minerals for the goats.

[Homesteader1]

PTL! my Dh is the manager of a farm and ranch coop, so... we get everything at cost. A year ago we started buying grains( we grind our own feed) in tons, packed them into our grainery and barn. We need to keep adding as we use, but it's not such a shock to the ole' pocketbook to purchase 5-10 bags at todays prices for replacements verses several ton of each. We also barter with a local farmer for whole corn, it only requires the labor of shoveling it from their grainery into a trailer and then shoveling it out into our bins in our grainery.

Hay we harvest as much as we can ourselves, from our land as well from crop share land( 70% our share/40% their share and they irrigate it for us) This season we will end up buying a few ton, just to be sure we have more than enough as we added two more large animals to our farm.

[Beaners]

We only have rabbits for now, although we will have ducks in a few weeks. (Plus two dogs and four cats.)

Feed is the big thing for us too, and other than just having extra set aside we are working at the ability to grow all of our own feed. We don't have a lot of space at our disposal, so it takes some work to figure out where we can grow what.

For rabbits you are more likely to cull if there is an illness than try to treat it, so we don't have many meds on hand. We have ivomec and pyrantel, but no antibiotics. We might get some soon for the dogs and cats, and I DO know how to administer sub-cutaneous fluids for things like severe dehydration from illness. I have the supplies on hand for that too. I'm not crazy about using stuff like frontline on the dogs and cats, but I might need to pick up a few packages just in case they get a bad case of fleas. The stuff works, and I won't want to be fighting fleas with all the other stuff on my plate.

The rabbits also like to munch on and bed in dried leaves, so I have a few people who are going to let me come get all of their leaves once they bag them up. After the rabbits are done with the leaves they end up in the compost, and then on the garden. Bedding is a necessity for a few of the rabbits because these particular girls don't raise litters well in wire bottomed cages.

Kayleigh

[mowarren]

for our goats and cows we have cut back to grazing grass pastures all year then only hay for winter - no we don't get huge weight gains but animals all grow fine.

[Southwind]

Only dogs and cats here, but I have been storing Jesse's scotch broth mix plus dog and cat vitamins. Both people and pets can eat that stuff, so it serves double duty.

[goatlady]

Been stocking up on cracked corn for the goats and chickens. Luckily it goes a long way with the pasture/grazing available here. Have nice alfalfa hay stored for the winter so for the next 12 months or so my gals are okay. Just butchered 2 11 month lambs today, had such a good grilled leg tonight with friends and will be making some dog food this week with the bones and scraps. I've been focusing on being sure I have way extra salt blocks for the goats, easy to store and very necessary. Got a good stockpile of wormers and antibiotics ane trimmers.

[3-L's]

Only dogs and cats here, but I have been storing Jesse's scotch broth mix plus dog and cat vitamins. Both people and pets can eat that stuff, so it serves double duty.


I hate to sound dumb here but musta missed out on seeing it so would you repost "Jesse's Scotch Broth Mix"?

Thanks

[momof23goats]

I am stocking up on goat chow for my goats, and sweet feed for the chickens, as scratch is over 15$ a 50 # bag here, but I can get sweet feed for 8.49. so they are getting the sweet feed, and some extras thrown in to the mix.
this way, I can afford their feed, hay is up for the year in the barn. so we are all set.
I just buy bags weekly, several 100 pounds at a time. so by nov. I will probably have enough for the year, hopefully.

[Southwind]

I hate to sound dumb here but musta missed out on seeing it so would you repost "Jesse's Scotch Broth Mix"?

Thanks

This is a recipe from a member who long since left the other forum I found this on. But I used it when we first had the animal feed scare. It fed my five large dogs for three months. It is tasty too, and a complete protein. I would use four to five cups of mix to six cups of water and throw it all in the crockpot on low overnight.Throw in a dash of either liquid cat or dog vitamins, and you can keep them all going and pretty healthy on this stuff. Like I said, it doubles as people food.

SCOTCH BROTH MIX.

You'll need a large and long container, - we use the Rubbermaid ones which are approx. 4ft x 2 ft long. This will allow you to make up *batches* of 176lbs of soup mix at a time, which you then package in Mylar Bags w/oxygen absorbers, heat seal (we have a steam iron and a plank of wood 36" x 20" which we just smooth the bag out across and iron shut for a vacuum seal) and store in smaller Rubbermaid containers which each take the 176lbs you'll be packaging. The ones we use say they will hold 26 gallons (volume) and they cost about $6 each here. Not much more than a cardboard box from U-Haul.

You'll need to make it in 12 batches, - it's hard work to mix.
For each batch you'll need...

4 x 22lb (or 10kg) rice. (Any kind will do).
2 x 11lb (or 5kg) kidney beans
2 x 11lb (or 5kg) barley
2 x 11lb (or 5kg) lentils (yellow)
1 x 5.5lb(or 5kg) green split peas
1 x 5.5lb(or 5 kg)chick peas

Method:

Put in two bags of rice to mixing container
Then add each of the other ingredients 5kg at a time, mixing as you go. (Use surgical gloves or you'll have no nails left, LOL!).
When you have all the other ingredients mixed in with the first two bags of rice, add the last two bags of rice and *REALLY* mix well or you'll get all rice on the bottom of your mixture.

Then take 3 *large size* Mylar Bags and start scooping in mixture. We just use a 2 quart juice jug for a scoop. When you have it 2/3rds filled, add 2 oxygen absorbers and put plank over the mixing container and then spread the Mylar Bag tops over the plank and seal with a HOT steam iron. You should have a 3" seal at least. The mixture will fit nicely into the 3 Mylar Bags and we usually fill them and then seal them all at once so we can get the best seal possible. Then place Mylar bags into your 26 gallon container, label, and put lid on tightly. These are Rodent Proof and can be stacked three high. They should be kept in a cold dark place and they will keep for 20 years at least stored this way.

MAKING SOUP.

Take 12 oz of the dry mixture and put in about 6-7 quarts of water (with a nut of butter or a tsp. of olive oil to prevent soup boiling over) and add 3 tblspns (or to taste) of powdered soup stock. We like to use chicken stock.

Then add any veggies, meat, & seasoning you like. (We like to also put in lots of garlic) (DO NOT USE ONIONS - they'll spoil the mixture).

Bring to a boil and let simmer for two hours and you have enough soup for two days for 4 people.

On the second day you'll need to add some more water (it thickens in the fridge overnight) and another tblspn stock. Make sure to boil for at least 10 minutes the second day to kill off any potential bacteria, - especially if you are not storing in fridge, but just in a root cellar or like that in the event of no electricity in summer.

We make our own bread and have a thick slice fer dunkin' with a large bowl of this delicious soup and it serves as a main meal. You are FULL after just one (large size) bowl of this stuff.

Kids will usually only be able to eat half a bowl w/bread, or a small bowl, whichever you prefer. Adults will likely want a nice big bowl.

If there is any mixture left on the third day, just add the new mixture to it. You will need less of course, but you'll get to know how to gauge things as you go along catering to the requirements of your own little family.

If you make up one batch at a time, it'll cost you approx. $125 for all the ingredients, including 3 x 10lb canisters of powdered soup mix. (One for each Mylar Bag). That's very doable I think, and in no time you'll have your 12 batches or 2,112lbs of soup mix. (Do it over 12 pay-days, and if you are paid weekly, - you'll have your 10 year supply in just 3 months).

We buy ours all at once and just take a weekend and get it over with, - the packaging I mean. I get my Rubbermaid containers from Wal-Mart, both the long ones for mixing, and the small ones.

If you are going to store your soup mix in a garage, you might want to get those rolling Rubbermaid Garbage cans and use these instead of the 26 gallon containers. They have locking lids, can be wheeled around and are water and Rodent Proof. Only RUBBERMAID products *guarantee* that they are Rodent Proof, so I rarely buy anything else. The Rubbermaid Garbage cans are twice as expensive as the 26 gallon containers, and can't be stacked, but if you have a lot of room in your garage and don't like lifting, they may be the best choice for you. Remember, - either way, you'll have 12 containers with 176lbs of soup mix in each. They don't need to be rotated.

[Yooper]

Wow, Southwind. Thanks! I think we will be doing this for our 2 dogs and 4 cats. I like the fact that more protein can be added. We always have lots of goat meat!

[Yooper]

Salal Sue, we are on Diana's 7MFarm yahoo list...lots of good folk on there.

I can't believe the cost of goat minerals...they've gone up $5 per 25 lb.bag. It's outrageous. We were going to get some extra bags, but now that doesn't seem prudent.
Now I'm hunting for block minerals that have the right amount of copper. That has made all the difference in kidding successes.

[babysteps]

*snicker* Umm... does letting thirty acres of land get totally overgrown with poison oak, blackberries, and generally brushy weeds count? I mean, I'm preparing for the goats I want to get next year! They gotta eat! :lol:

Other than that, I've just got chickens (and a couple of horses that I can't even *give* away)... the chickens free range most of the time, and get scraps from the house on top of regular feed... which they barely touch. I will be buying several bags of chick starter for the new babies coming this week.

And the cats, but there's a high enough rodent population around here to keep THEM going for YEARS.

[just me]

Wow, thanks for the recipe. This is also perfect for helping out friends and neighbors.

As for the critters. We are going to the farm store tomorrow, so I will see what prices are doing.

Babysteps, don't forget good fences :) Goats always seem to think the food is better on the other side of the fence :LOL At least mine did.

[Bamidbar]

A good book to invest in is a pre-1900 Dr. Chase book (available at used bookstores). It has everything from making animal feed to shampoo. It is the precursor to Carla Emery's book. A must for every homesteader or farm.

[LONER]

I thought the Scotch Broth had BARLEY in it????
Barley is hard to find and expensive!

[momof23goats]

I feed my dogs, rice, veggies, some kind of meat, or broth, and I add a can of tomatoes. I bring it to a boil, then put a lid on it, and let cook. slowly. in the deep winter months, I add oatmeal, and eggs, and left over milk from the milking. they stay healthy. PUsh comes to shove, they will get milk, eggs, bread. and some kind of veggie. I will scramble the eggs. Yes, I have always fed my dogs eggs, so they do fine on them. and YOU can feed your left overs in with the milk, eggs, and bread. If ya have any. that is.

[RevDoc]

I keep 3 years of hay on hand. I usually sell my oldest hay to folks that raise buffalo after I know I'll have a first good cutting of alfalfa or clover.

I've always got enough grain on hand to feed 10X the animals I raise, and the barn cats take care of the vermin.

In a total meltdown, my biggest problem will be baler parts. I am too old to go back to putting up loose hay with a dump rake.
I'm looking for a good wire tie square baler, just for that reason. Nearly bullet proof, but they were never popular in this part of the country. A new one is about $25,000.

[PlumBob]

One old indoor cat here. We keep a year's supply of food for him. Lately we've started putting cod liver oil on his food at night (1/4 tsp) - supposed to help his 14 year old memory. He loves the stuff, so his food consumption has gone up a bit. Smells like a - well, dead fish! Hope he doesn't gain too much weight!

[check]

Being a prepper for a long, long time now I've always gauged the
usage of things, especially pet food , etc. during summer, winter months
as some pets, etc. will eat more or less in those months.

Cat food we always keep a minimum of one year on hand
Dog food= same thing plus we make our own "wet food" out of
offal and rice for them, cooked up in a big pot they get a bowl a
day and dry food 24/7 when they want it.

Chicken feed we keep stocked up on it, but this fall we got a 1,000
pound square bale of barley-alfalfa hay and spread it all out in the
garden area once it went dormant and also in the big chicken run area.
They've been scratching and eating the seeds in the hay for a couple
months now, their crops are stuffed every night when they head back
to the coop. We just checked our calender for the chicken feeder refill
and a 50 pound bag of feed lasted us 3 months since the chickens are
pecking through this barley-alfalfa hay seed that's in it.

(It will be tilled into the garden as soil ammendment in spring)

In the spring, the chickens will free range to eat all the bugs to also
stretch out their feed, they have a huge run area, but grasshoppers
are plentiful here and they love them!

Gauge your usage so you know without a doubt how many bags of
what ever feed you need will last you a definate X amount of months.
I've never had dog or cat food go bad on me, even past the mfg's
expiration date, but then I do store it inside.

Not sure if this spring we'll be doing a feeder calf and maybe some
Nubian goats, have to see where the economy is going and if we'll
still be here at the ranch.

[emoemo333]

We only have the dogs but Shepherd is our working dog. I have made sure that I have my first aid kit for the dogs well supplied. We have always kept extra dog food in the winter as the 40 and 50 pounds bags are also used as weight in the back of our vehicles in winter weather. Our dogs also eat table scraps so that nothing goes to waste.

[delta.actual]

My German Shepherd has his own Bug out Bag.

[ScottyKarate]

Our dogs will feast on the bodies of our vanquished enemies.:shock: