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Homesteading – Page 6 – Homesteader Depot

Homesteader Depot

Category: Homesteading

  • Simple Pig Weighing Hack

    Simple Pig Weighing Hack

    Did you know that it’s entirely possible to figure out how much your pig weighs without putting it on a scale? Instead, you can use a number of things that you probably have lying around your house to figure out your pigs weight. A few quick measurements and calculations are all that it takes. This is much easier than trying to hoist your pig onto a scale. We’ll cover this useful pig weighing hack and some additional information here.

    Why Do You Need To Know How Much Your Pig Weighs?

    If you’ve been trying to determine when your pig is ready to be slaughtered, or your kids want to use him or her for a 4-H project, then you need to know how much it weighs. It’s good to measure and weigh your pig on a regular basis to ensure that it’s getting enough food and growing at the proper rate. You can then place these measurements in a chart and keep track of growth rates as they compare to the amounts of food provided.

    What You Need To Get Started

    Gathering your supplies constitutes the first step to determining your pig’s weight. You’ll need a tape measure, some twine, and the most important thing – a calculator. Obviously, you also need a pig. Without one, this entire endeavor is fruitless.

    Taking the Measurements

    The best time to take these measurements is while your pig is eating. This provides a good distraction, and you won’t have to deal with attempting to measure a moving animal. You also don’t want to have to dive into the mud in order to handle this task, so don’t do it while it’s wallowing either.

    Once you’ve located your pig at the trough, pull out your tape measure or piece of twine. Whichever is easier to use. You’ll measure the twine at some point anyway, so if you have a tape measure, cut out a step and just use it.

    The very first measurement is the length. This is the total length; from the base of the pig’s tail all of the way to its ears. It’s best to go from the top, measuring along you pig’s back. Hold the tape measure flush in order to get an accurate reading.

    The next measurement is the heart girth. Wrap the tape measure around the body of your pig, parallel to its legs. This is essentially the pig’s circumference as if it were a tree or something.

    Once you have those two measurements, you’ll need to apply them to the formula. This is the heart girth number squared multiplied by the length, which is then divided by 400. Here’s an example:

    A pig has a 60” length and a 54” heart girth. Your formula is 54 X 54 X 60 = 174,960. Then that last number is divided by 400: 174,960/400 = 437.4. The pig weighs 437.4 pounds. That weight includes every part of the pig, organs and all. Once the pig is butchered, you’ll lose about 100 pounds of that weight. This means that you’ll get around 330 pounds of meat from it.

    Conclusion

    Knowing how much your pig weighs is important. We already mentioned the ways in which you can track its growth over time, noting how much you feed it in order to see the ratios form. If your kids are using your pig as their 4-H or county fair project, then that data is very important. You also need to know when the pig will be ready to be butchered. This measurement formula is actually very accurate and will come in handy. It sure beats putting your pig on a scale!

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  • Super Easy Homemade Buttermilk

    Super Easy Homemade Buttermilk

    Buttermilk isn’t something that you only need to buy at the store. Instead, you can make it yourself. The results will be much tastier and better for you. The buttermilk that you find in the dairy section (if your grocery store even carries it) is cultured. This type takes at least 24 hours to make, and you need to start with cultured buttermilk, making it a bit redundant, or active buttermilk culture. This process is fairly labor intensive. However, if you have a recipe that requires buttermilk and you don’t have any on hand, these quick methods will work nicely. You’ll have your own buttermilk within minutes. Are you ready?

    Option Number One

    This method produces buttermilk quickly and easily. It all starts with either lemon juice and vinegar, as well as some milk. For every cup of milk, add one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to it. Place them in the same glass and let it sit on your counter for ten minutes. While the results aren’t properly cultured buttermilk (this is actually an acidified version), you’ll end up with a type that will work nicely in recipes. The acid in the milk will work to activate the baking soda or baking powder in the batter, just like it’s supposed to.

    Option Number Two

    You’ll need a few more ingredients for this buttermilk. It all starts with yogurt or sour cream and some milk. Heck, even the milk is optional – you can use water instead. The ratios are 3/4 of a cup of yogurt or sour cream to a ¼ cup of milk or water. As with the previous recipe, combine the liquid and the semi-solid in a cup and let it sit on your counter for ten minutes. You may have to stir them a bit to make everything smooth, but in the end, you’ll end up with enough buttermilk for any recipe.

    Now For Something Different

    The two previous methods described how you could make buttermilk just by letting your dairy products curdle for a few minutes. The next two are more complicated, as you’ll be making actual cultured buttermilk, just like the kind that you see in the grocery store.

    Option Number Three

    This recipe starts with cultured buttermilk. Yes, this is the same thing that you’ll be making, only you’ll end up with much more it. Think of it as a good way to never run out of buttermilk. Pour six ounces of cultured buttermilk into a glass jar. A quart jar will work perfectly. Then add in three cups of whole milk. The fresher the buttermilk, the better, since the cultures will be more effective and the process will work properly. Once you have the buttermilk and the milk in the jar, put the lid on and shake it well. Then, find a safe spot to place it. The mixture needs to sit out for 24 hours at room temperature.

    At the end of that time period, check your buttermilk. It should be thick enough to coat the walls of glass and taste just like typically cultured buttermilk. If you don’t need to use it right away, place it in the refrigerator. It should last for several weeks in there.

    Option Number Four

    This method is very similar to the previous one; only you use active buttermilk cultures instead of the buttermilk itself. The mixture needs to sit out for between 12 and 24 hours, and you need to get the ratio of cultures to milk correct. This usually is written on the packaging.

    Ideally, you’ll never run out of buttermilk thanks to these helpful methods.

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    Here is a great video showing how simple and easy making your own buttermilk really is…

    https://youtu.be/zJbw9rXQjYI

  • No Waste Chicken Feeder

    No Waste Chicken Feeder

    Chickens can be messy and needy. They throw their food all over the place and then squawk at you until you give them more. This is no reason not to place a chicken coop in your backyard though. They do give you plenty of eggs and some meat. And chickens can make interesting companions, even though they aren’t quite as cuddly as cats and dogs – as long as you keep them happy, that is. The best way to do this is with a no-waste chicken feeder.

    Why Do You Need A No Waste Chicken Feeder?

    We’ve already mentioned the fact that chickens are messy. No matter how hard you try to keep their food contained, they toss it all over the yard. Even if you place a metal pan under their trough, they’ll still find a way to make a mess. It’s just how they are – until you give them a no waste feeder. This feeder is designed to keep the chicken feed in one place, right where it belongs. You won’t be woken up by hungry chickens in the morning, as they’ll always have enough to eat right under their beaks.

    The Supplies That You Need

    Gathering your supplies is the first step to making one of these feeders. You’ll need some PVC piping, both straight sections (which should be the same length) and an elbow piece, as well as two caps. You’ll also need a Mason jar lid and seal. Since the pipes will fit together, you don’t really need to adhere to them, but you could if you wanted to. It’s all up to you. It should hold together just fine by itself. You’ll also need a small saw in order to cut a hole in the bottom pipe so that the chickens can get to their feed. Otherwise, you’ll just have some random pipes stuck together with chicken feed in them.

    Putting the Feeder Together

    Building the feeder is easy. Start by slicing into the piece of pipe that’s going to be on the bottom. This is the trough. You’ll need to make it big enough for the chickens to get into, but not so big that they can make a huge mess all over again. A horizontal piece that’s roughly two inches wide by around 10 inches long will work nicely. However, this is up to you.

    Once you have the feeding hole cut into the pipe, place one of the caps at the end. This will be the piece of the feeder that sits parallel to the ground. Connect the elbow piece of pipe to the other end. Put the Mason jar lid and seal inside of the pipe at the place where the elbow meets the bottom pipe. The lid and seal will keep the feed from flowing down uncontrollably, making a mess.

    Next, attach the other long, straight piece of pipe to the other end of the elbow joint. It will stick straight up vertically. This is the end that you’ll be pouring the feed into. Place the other cap on the end of this piece of pipe in order to prevent water and other things from getting into the feed. You can remove it when you need to add more.

    Feeding the Chickens

    Prop the no waste chicken feeder up against the side of the chicken coop or the fenced-in area. If you want to tie it in place, feel free to do so. Pour some feed into the top pipe and then remove the Mason jar lid so that it flows into the other part of the feeder. Your chickens will always have plenty of food this way.

    See an example from our buddy at Green Power Farm.

    https://youtu.be/IapmzdzGFaw

  • No Sugar Canned Peaches

    No Sugar Canned Peaches

    Canned peaches are an excellent treat – especially if you’ve canned them yourself and can control what goes into them. The downside to most canning recipes is the amount of sugar involved. Peaches are naturally sweet, so they don’t need a lot of additional refined white sugar, which is bad for you anyway. This recipe utilizes a more natural combination of honey and cinnamon to enhance the natural flavors of the peaches.

    Supplies

    • Water bath canner
    • Canning jars and lids
    • Saucepan
    • Peeler
    • Cutting board
    • Funnel
    • Measuring implements

    Ingredients

    • Peaches – a good measurement is between two and three pounds of them per quart-sized jar
    • One cup of honey
    • Nine cups of water
    • One cinnamon stick for each jar

    Instructions

    1) Prepare the peaches.

    • This includes peeling them and slicing them into quarters. Peeling is made easier by dunking the peaches in a pan full of boiling water.
    • Let them soak in there for two minutes, then place them immediately in a pan filled with cold water. The skins will come off on their own, although you might need to wield the peeler to remove any stubborn bits.
    • Once they’ve been peeled, slice them in half and remove the pit. Then slice them into quarters.

    2) Pour the nine cups of water into the saucepan. Add the one cup of honey. Then, slowly bring the temperature up until the mixture is boiling. Allow it to boil while you finish slicing the peaches and preparing the canning jars.

    3) Prepare your water bath canner.

    4) Place one cinnamon stick inside each canning jar. They’ll dissolve once the hot water has been added, infusing your peaches with a sweet, cinnamon flavor.

    5) Add the sliced peaches to each jar, making sure to leave an inch of space at the top.

    6) Pour the boiling honey water mixture into each jar over the peaches and cinnamon. Leave one-half inch of space at the top.

    7) Seal each jar carefully and place in the water bath canner. Process them according to the instructions on your canner.

    Notes

    Before you begin canning your peaches, there are some things that you need to do. For example, you should prepare the jars according to the instructions on the package. This usually involves washing them and allowing them to dry thoroughly before you go ahead and begin using them.

    Also, you should never reuse the lids and bands. You can reuse the jars all you want, they’ll last for many seasons (or rounds of canned peaches) as long as they aren’t cracked or chipped. However, the lids and bands must be new every time. If you reuse them, you run the risk of the jars not sealing properly, allowing in contaminants.

    Once you’ve processed your jars of peaches, store them in a cool, dark place, such as a pantry, basement shelf or root cellar. If any of the lids haven’t “popped” properly (and you’ll know when they do this), place the jar in your refrigerator and begin eating it right away. Those unpopped jars won’t last, as the seal didn’t set.

    Water bath canning is a great method for making things like jams, jellies, pickles, and even canned fruit. You shouldn’t attempt to use this canning method for vegetables and things like meat. The temperatures don’t get hot enough and are too unstable to process those items correctly. If you want to make canned vegetables and meat sauces, you’ll need a pressure canner. This is a completely different device that is much more stable. If you’re new to canning, stick with the water bath method for now. It’s a great gateway point for homesteaders.

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  • DIY Fruit Fly Trap Works Overnight

    DIY Fruit Fly Trap Works Overnight

    Fruit flies are unpleasant creatures. They seem to pop up whenever you leave fruit out. All that it takes is one several-day-old banana and the next thing you know, you’re surrounded by dozens of little fruit flies. Although these little buggers are relatively harmless to humans (they don’t bite, they’re just annoying), they just keep breeding and breeding, and might even scare off any company that comes over.

    Thankfully, there’s a solution. Well, two solutions. You can get rid of the fruit that attracts them, by eating it, canning it, or, in the banana example, turning it into banana bread. The other solution requires you to create a trap. Yes, you read that right – a fruit fly trap. All that you need are some things that you already have sitting around your home.

     

    Creating a Vinegar Trap

    Since fruit flies are attracted to anything sweet or rotting (this is why you’ll sometimes find them breeding in your garbage disposal) a vinegar trap works well. Start by gathering three things – a jar, some apple cider vinegar, and some dish soap. Open the lid of the jar and place it off to the side. You won’t need it for the trap. Then, pour in some apple cider vinegar.  Fill the jar until the halfway point. Then, squirt some dish soap into the jar and mix it up a bit. Make sure that there aren’t any bubbles.

    Once your trap is set, place it near where the fruit flies like to congregate. Leave it alone overnight. The fruit flies will flock to it, become trapped, and then drown.

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    How does this ingenious trap work? Well, the fruit flies think that the apple cider vinegar is rotten fruit. They’ll be attracted to the smell and will fly into the liquid, thinking that they hit the jackpot. Once they try to land in the liquid, the dish soap will suck them into it, and the flies will drown.

    If your trap doesn’t kill off all of the fruit flies overnight, then discard their little fly corpses and make a new batch of the mixture. Usually, all that it takes to kill off the flies are two nights of leaving the trap out.

     

    This All Natural Method Works

    The best thing about this apple cider vinegar and dish soap fruit fly trap is the fact that it’s all-natural. There aren’t any harsh chemicals or pesticides in it. Sure, you could go to the store, purchase some anti-fly spray, and take care of business, but you don’t really want those harsh chemicals in your kitchen where they can get into your food. This isn’t good for anyone.

    On top of that, if you have children, there’s always the chance that they might accidentally contaminate themselves with the pesticide. You really need to be careful. With this all-natural mixture, if they happen to pick up the jar, the most that will happen is that they’ll be grossed out (or fascinated by) the flies. It won’t hurt them.

    Even Insect Lovers Will Like This Method

    If you’re one of those people who trap insects and set them free outdoors, then you probably won’t like having to kill any of them, even the fruit flies. However, fruit flies are too small and too prolific to capture and set free. If you must kill insects in your home, isn’t it better to know that they died happily? These fruit flies thought they saw a lot of food and literally jumped in with all of their legs. This is a decent way for them to go, right?

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  • 7 Tips to Grow the Perfect Tomatoes

    7 Tips to Grow the Perfect Tomatoes

     

    Tomatoes are tricky fruits to grow. Some years you end up with the perfect amount of ripe, round, bright red tomatoes without having to tend to your plants. It’s as if they grew by magic. Other seasons you end up with finicky plants that need a lot of TLC, and you still end up with one or two fruits – not the dozens of seasons past. It’s easy to blame this on the environment or weather, or even on the efficacy of the plants themselves. After all, you just didn’t have good plants this year, right? It’s even easier to follow these useful tomato plant tips. They’ll ensure that you have a good harvest every year, no matter what.

     

    Water the Plants Deeply

    Tomato plants need to have their roots watered. This means that it’s not enough to just sprinkle some water on the whole plant and hope for the best. You need to avoid getting those leaves and stems wet and aim straight for the roots. If you can, get a soaker hose and use it. The deeper you can get the water, the better your plants will grow.

     

    Plant Them Deeply As Well

    With most plants, it’s enough that the root ball ends up getting covered in soil. For tomatoes, that’s just not enough. Place them deep into the ground to the point of covering the lower half of the stem and the first row of leaves. These sections of the plant will sprout roots, making the entire plant much stronger.

     

    Make Sure They Get Plenty of Sun

    Tomato plants love sunlight. They’ll soak up as much of it as they can. Unlike other plants that can tolerate shade or partial sun, tomatoes need full sun. Find a very bright space in your garden and plant them there. They’ll thank you by producing more fruit.

    Add Some Calcium to Your Soil

    Did you know that you can change the chemical composition of your soil by adding eggshells? Crushed up eggshells are great for adding calcium to the soil in your garden. This can prevent one of the more common tomato plant diseases – blossom end rot. You don’t need to add a lot of eggshells, just the remnants of a few eggs, but the results will be worth it. Dig a small hole near the plants and place the eggshells in it, then cover it up. (Feel free to add some compost in there at the same time.)

     

    Support Them As They Grow

    We’re referring to literal supports here. Your tomato plants will need to grow onto something, such as a tomato cage or trellis. You can also use livestock panels, make your own cage out of old piping, or come up with any other creative method. All that matters is that the plants are left to droop over.

     

    Prune Your Plants

    As your tomato plants grow, they’ll produce suckers. These suckers will (literally) suck the life out of your plant. Take the time to clip them off as they pop up. Your plant will grow stronger and healthier without them. You’ll also end up with more tomatoes.

     

    Place Mulch around Your Plants

    Mulch is pretty much a miracle substance. No matter which type you choose, this all-natural covering will keep your soil moist while preventing weeds from taking root. All of your plants will be much healthier. Mulch can even keep your ground temperature regulated. Certain types will soak up sunlight before the ground is heated or act as insulation should the temperatures cool off. It really does help everything in your garden grow.

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  • Plastic Sheeting Gardening Hack

    Plastic Sheeting Gardening Hack

     

    Many gardeners count down the days until the winter ends because they’re just dying (not literally, of course) to get their crops in the ground. Rather than wait until the earth warms up and the last frost is far from over, start your season early by using plastic sheeting in to create a greenhouse-like effect. Plus, if you leave the sheeting up once the weather than changed for the better, you’ll have fewer weeds to deal with. Your garden will be magnificent thanks to this quick and easy garden hack.

     

    It All Starts in the Autumn

    Once you harvest your crops in the fall, you can start getting things in place for your plastic sheet garden. Clear out your garden, removing the remnants of your crops. Only the soil should be left. Turn it over very well in order to remove any lingering roots or bits of plants. Get out your tiller if you need to. Then, set up your soil for next spring. This involves making seedbeds, also known as soil ridges. These ridges should be one foot wide by around six inches high. They need to run to the east and west in your yard, parallel to each other. You can arrange them so that they’re as close together or as far apart as necessary. This is up to you.

     

    After The Last Frost (Ideally)

    Depending on where you live in the country, these next steps should be completed after the last frost or after what you perceive to be the last frost. (Sometimes the weather can be weird.) Purchase a roll of transparent plastic sheeting. Find one that’s 4-mil, and large enough to cover your desired area. You need it to be able to cover your entire planting area. Lay it directly on top of those soil ridges that you made in the fall. Don’t forget to anchor it down on the edges with wooden boards, stakes, or bricks. You don’t want it to fly away in a windstorm.

     

    Wait Until the Soil Is Warm

    Rather than waiting for the soil to warm up naturally (that is, without plastic sheeting) to plant your crops, you just have to wait until the plastic has done its job. It shouldn’t take more than a few days for the earth to warm up under the plastic. Once it has, you can start planting your crops in between the ridges. Peel back the sheet and place your seeds in the ground, following the usual planting instructions as far as how deep and how far apart to plant them. Then, place the plastic back on top of them. At this point, you may want to use wooden stakes instead of boards and bricks, as they’ll allow the plastic to move slightly as the plants grow.

     

    Why the Ridges Are Important

    The soil ridges are designed to hold up the plastic, giving the plants some space to grow. They also control the moisture content of the soil and trap sunlight, making the area under the plastic quite warm. It creates a greenhouse effect. This is why you can start planting much earlier than usual.

     

    The Rest of the Process

    As your plants begin to grow, you’ll need to check on the moisture content of the soil. If it seems like things are too damp under there, peel back the plastic for a while and let everything dry out a little. Replace the plastic once the moisture levels have gone down. Once the traditional spring-like weather has officially returned to your area, or the plants have grown too big to remain contained under the plastic, roll up the sheet and let mother nature do the rest.

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  • 5 Critical Tips for Proper Pet Care

    5 Critical Tips for Proper Pet Care

     

    Pets are awesome. There’s no other way to say it. As long as you care for them properly, they’ll show you nothing but love. This doesn’t mean that you need to spoil your pets, showering them with food, treats, and toys. Yes, you can do that, but your pets will appreciate you much more if you care for them in these five ways.

     

    1) Spend Some Time Exercising With Your Pets

    Your pets want to spend as much time with you as possible. This involves playing and exercising with them. Depending on the type of pet that you have, for example, a dog, you can take yours to the park and play fetch or even go jogging. Your dogs will appreciate going for walks, playing fetch, and burning off any extra energy. You’ll feel healthier as well since you get to exercise along with them. If your pets are of the indoor variety, then use toys that they enjoy. Your cats will get a kick out chasing a laser light on the floor or batting at some yarn. This is good for your pet’s mental and physical health.

     

    2) Feed Your Pets Properly

    You probably already know that your pet needs to be fed daily. The real question is: are you feeding him or her the right foods and in the correct amounts? If you aren’t sure which types of pet food are the best, ask your veterinarian or the employees at your local pet store for recommendations. Depending on the breed of your animal, one type of food may be much better than another. You also need to take your pet’s weight, age, and activity levels into consideration when determining how much and how often to feed him or her. You can look at the back of the pet food bag for guidelines or ask your vet.

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    3) Take Your Pets to the Vet

    Even the healthiest animals need to go in for regular checkups. Yours are no exception to this. Many conditions can be caught early thanks to standard vet appointments. This will help you save money in the long run since these early treatments will cost less than more extensive ones. On top of this, regular vet appointments can help your pet live a longer, healthier life. The more time you have with your pet, the better, right? We all know that pets don’t live as long as humans, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do everything you can to make your pet enjoy every moment of his lifespan.

     

    4) Grooming Is Important

    While not every pet needs to see a professional groomer, many will benefit from home grooming treatments. For example, if you have a cat, then you can brush him regularly. This will prevent dandruff and hairballs. It’s also a great way for you to bond with your cat. Dogs require a bit more maintenance. You’ll have to bathe them and clip their claws. Some types even need professional grooming in the form of haircuts. Your dog will look better and be much happier.

     

    5) Set up A Schedule and Stick with It

    Pets need schedules just as much as humans do. They need to know when they’ll be fed, as well as when it’s time to go outside (if you own a dog.) Every pet, no matter the type, will adjust to a schedule well and will begin to anticipate when things will happen. Feeding your pet at the same time every day, going for walks at a certain hour, and so on will only stabilize your pet’s life in a good way.

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