Creating Abundance on Our Half Acre Homestead

We are creating abundance on our half acre backyard homestead by using chickens, goats, and rabbits to build soil and generate compost. Take a walk with me while I highlight how we are producing nutritious food for our family.
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We are in no way experts, but we share the little we do know out of a decade of mishaps and mistakes.
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[@alissarodman8144]

Currently learning as much as I can about vegetable gardening and food forests until I can move out of the city an onto my almost half acre in west Texas. Thank you for sharing your property and your way of maintaining your sources. Looks good! One thing I have learned is that the soil will get better over time with how you are doing it by adding woodchips, but if I could lend any useful advice I'd recommend having plants/roots growning in the parts that you're wanting soil improvement. The exudates from roots will supply the food for the beneficial microbes most gardeners are hoping for. In turn will more quickly convert dead soil to living soil 😊 Thanks again for adding value to us who seek information from homesteaders actually homesteading. Btw, you have a new subscriber 👍🏻

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Thank you for the sub!! I have a few plants that I'm getting established in the wood chips, but my soil was so bad that it needed almost a year to compost and create something that I even wanted to try growing in. Right now I've got some tomatillos that are popping and squash that is doing well. I did some broccoli that did so-so, and tried watermelon and it didn't root in at all. Always trying something new.

[@tamipacumio9415]

I'm also in SE Texas and we get our pork from a local hog hunter. See if you can find one. The meat is delicious and less expensive then the China pork being sold in stores.

[@midwestribeye7820]

You have a productive set up! I'm impressed! We live in a city on a little over 1/2 acre. We have a large garden, 5 hens, and just planted 2 plum trees and 2 service berry bushes. Our strawberries and raspberries were decimated this winter when the deer broke through our fence. Lessons learned. New sturdier/taller fence going up this spring. God bless!

[@cedarporchhomestead]

I just had a long conversation with a friend this week over deer and the damage they can do on a backyard garden.

[@lisahoffmann3274]

Yes I'm interested in worm composting. I'm new to all of this. Thanks for sharing your information.

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Good luck with your worms! We will try to add more on vermicompost in the future because it really is a game changer for the garden.

[@eveaYT2625]

HELLO I AM NEW TO YOUR CHANNEL, HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY #NOT A DAY WITHOUT JESUS 🙏

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Welcome to the channel!!

[@eveaYT2625]

@@cedarporchhomestead THANKS #NOT A DAY WITHOUT JESUS 🙏

[@eveaYT2625]

THANKS SO MUCH 😊

[@NonexistentHomestead]

Quail like most birds do not lay during the winter. I expect the reason yours are late starters is they matured while the days were shorter this winter. If you really want to stress them and force egg production all year you may try artificial light on a timer to simulate summer.

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Thats good insight. I think we are going to first increase their protein ration and if that doesn't work then lights maybe the way we have to go.

[@NonexistentHomestead]

@@cedarporchhomestead The days are getting longer now so should start laying. The lights are only something for winter if you want to push production then. That is too much like the factories though. I let my birds relax in the winter

[@Jesse_was_here]

I’ve been raising cotournix quail for a few years now. Usually it’s the amount of protein in the feed that is the cause. I shoot for around 30% protein and supplement them with comfrey. They love it! The other thing might be they need more light; usually 16+ hrs. That being said, I have had some hatch groups that took up to 16 weeks before consistently laying, but that is very rare.

[@cedarporchhomestead]

We really appreciate the advice! My daughter backed them off the 30% protein when they hit 6 weeks because everything she read said that an all flock would maintain them and they would do well. We will look into using a higher protein ration and supplement with comfrey. Thank you!

[@shirleyburns2623]

Are you in south east or south west Texas? We are in south west Louisiana. Our soil is horrible also. Doing some raised beds this year. Drought last year severely affected our harvest as did uneven pollination. Have added many more plants to attract pollinators this year

[@cedarporchhomestead]

We are in the coastal bend of South Texas. The intermittent droughts followed by storms or torrential downpours makes gardening sometimes pretty rough. We like our raised beds and will be developing a way to automate watering this year I think. Raised beds are a great way to regulate irregular weather patterns. Good luck!!!

[@christinewilke893]

I would love to try the deep litter in the run like you do but I’m afraid that the scraps would attract vermin. What are your thoughts? Really love this channel. Just got my chicken. Love them.

[@cedarporchhomestead]

I understand your concern about the vermin. The deep litter in the run shouldn’t be so thick with food scrapes that your chickens can’t eat it. Remember you’re going to be adding leaves, grass clippings, and garden waste. Very similar to an outside compost set up with your chickens doing all the turning and sorting for you. As with anything you will need to keep a close eye on your set up and see how it is working. If it starts to attract rodents then adjust. Good luck!

[@BigggRoss]

I am just learning about Quail myself and from what I have learned they lay in the evening. Maybe if missed a snake is getting them? Maybe add a dust bath bin they may lay in that.

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Definitely need to add a dust bath for the quail. We don’t think a snake is the culprit, but you never know.

[@jennacoryell4160]

Homesteader in northern Georgia, looking to get into rabbits. I only have one hesitation/question: How do you get them through summer heat? Don't rabbits die of heat stroke when it gets past the upper 80's?

[@cedarporchhomestead]

This is a great question, and one that we had to look into since we are located in South Texas. We decided to go with TAMUK rabbits. They were bred at Texas A&M Kingsville specifically to handle the heat. Ours have gone through 110 degree heat without any issues. We don't actively bred through the summer to keep them from being too stressed, but they manage well in a shady area of our yard.

[@jennacoryell4160]

@@cedarporchhomestead thanks for the response! I'll look into those. I didn't realize there were specifically heat-tolerant breeds. Thanks again

[@joannadrechsel9773]

You may already be treating this but at quick glance it looks like one of your rabbits have ear mites. I deal w them on and off with mine. What treatment do you normally use for that?

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Yes we have to treat them in and off again as well. We use vegetable oil in a dropper to treat them. What do you use to treat yours?

[@christinewilke893]

Can you add the worms directly to your compost bin or your run?

[@cedarporchhomestead]

I’m sure you can but using worms to create concentrated vermicompost would be the better option in my opinion.

[@christinewilke893]

@@cedarporchhomestead I’d love to see a video on that. It sounds like a great idea.

[@BigggRoss]

Not a hot bin. Standard compost bins/piles are designed to cook the compost. meaning it hits up to 160F, worms die over 90F

[@cedarporchhomestead]

@@BigggRoss this is true, however I have seen worms used in traditional compost bins and since they feed upwards they will stay low and out of the heat for the most part. Hot compost breaks down with heat and bacteria doing the heavy lifting. Adding worms to that wouldn’t add that much benefit because they wouldn’t access the whole pile due to the excess heat.

[@kencragg877]

Might want to get some female quail males don’t lay eggs

[@cedarporchhomestead]

Thats good advice.