How We Raise A Year's Worth of Meat & Never Buy Meat from the Grocery Store Again

One of our greatest joys is providing our own meat for our family (and some family members) from our own land. We know exactly what goes into our meat, how the animals are treated and are blessed by the cycle of it all.
But it all takes planning and not every space will work for every type of livestock (or every person, there's a reason I don't have goats currently).
Here's how we plan out our livestock for the year. This information is extremely helpful now, OR if you're looking at property in the future.
For more information, visit the blog post here: melissaknorris...
Check out my other video on how we store a year's worth of meat here: • How to Store a Year's ...
**********************
Links:
Raising Meat Chickens for a Year: • Raising Meat Chickens ...
How to Butcher a Whole Pig: • Pioneering Today-How t...
How Much to Plant Per Person - Growing a Year's Worth of Food: melissaknorris...
**********************
Listen in to the top #10 rated Pioneering Today Podcast for Home & Garden for Simple Modern Homesteading Tips melissaknorris...
**********************
My Books:
The Family Garden Planner: melissaknorris....
The Family Garden Plan: melissaknorris...
Hand Made 100+ From Scratch Recipes: melissaknorris...
The Made-from-Scratch Life: melissaknorris...
**********************
Howdy! I'm so glad you're here. I'm Melissa from Pioneering Today and a 5th generation homesteader where I'm doing my best to hold onto the old traditions in a modern world and share them with others.
Click any of the below links for FREE resources and training to help you on your homestead!
Homemade Sourdough Starter Series melissaknorris...
How to Pressure Can Series melissaknorris...
Beginners Home Canning Safety melissaknorris...
For raising, cooking, and preserving your own food, come hang out with me on Instagram / melissaknorris
and Facebook / melissaknorris
**********
#meatchickens #raisingmeat #pigs #cows

[@seofutbol]

We had five pigs at any given time growing up. They got out one day. We chased them for hours. My dad threw his hands in the air, yelled “screw it!” and went to bed for the night. The next morning they were at the trough waiting for breakfast 🤷‍♂️

[@fireemblemaddict128]

That's kind of sad. They just wanted a taste of freedom, but in the end they knew they couldn't survive outside the system they were born into. Kind of like us huh?

[@Erreul]

That's hilarious.

[@nagi6736]

😂😂

[@Pirokh]

@@fireemblemaddict128 You're not being deep.

[@princetchalla2441]

@@fireemblemaddict128 Domestic pigs can actually grow tusks after a generation or two being reintroduced into the wild, and there have been a few times where feral hogs and pigs have crossbred. I guess they were just looking for an easy meal after their night going hog wild. Make no mistake, they’re no pushovers. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they preferred the easier meal rather than foraging for grubs.

[@GuyMcLaren]

To test if a fence is goat proof, take a bucket of water and throw it at the fence, if the water gets through the goats will escape.

[@lessforloans]

Haha. So true

[@BwellsTrumpetBasics]

hahaha

[@LeoTheYuty]

lmao

[@VashtiPerry]

😂

[@possumrides8448]

LOL

[@sehajpreetsingh4177]

Imagine working from home for a company, and being able to live on a farm. That's the life I want to live. Thanks for sharing.

[@sehajpreetsingh4177]

@@ertfgghhhh My dad is more of a farmer than I am and he is retiring this year. Dad spent his earlier years working in fields in a village; later he transitioned to a city for work. Back in India, we do have small plots of land on which my dad still works. He enjoys doing that. I used to help him when I lived there. I guess it is not a bad idea to buy some land here in Canada, build a small house, buy some hens, and a dog or two. There are plenty of employers in the software field that offer remote work. The life would be slow but very fulfilling.

[@sehajpreetsingh4177]

@Muslimcel lol, what!? I don't care for Khalistan.

[@sehajpreetsingh4177]

@Muslimcel there is a vocal minority that demands it, most people don't care for it.

[@devi722]

Go for it, man.. Good luck!

[@natashaalfred2645]

@@sehajpreetsingh4177 what is Khalistan?

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

My Dad developed a "trick" electric fence. We had one horse, and she liked to break through the barb-wire fence. Dad got an electric fence, but couldn't string it around the whole 4 acres, so he just put it in the places that the horse liked to break through. He didn't want the grandkids to get shocked, so he put that bright yellow "Caution" tape everywhere the electric fence ran. The horse learned pretty quick that the Caution tape knocked her socks off. As a matter of fact, she learned so well that Dad would walk the horse to the un-fenced front yard, lay some Caution tape in a 20 foot circle, and the horse never crossed it while she grazed all day long. He had to pick up the tape in order to take the horse back to the barn in the evening. He also wrapped the feed-bins with it. It was Very reliable.

[@chrisfahr5997]

Isnt that just a pavlovian method

[@otpyrcralphpierre1742]

@@chrisfahr5997 Mostly.

[@gmwwc]

a fence that will hold goats, will hold water!

[@ericcake5075]

If your pig pen is stationary, you might consider planting a few oak trees (or other nut baring trees) and apple trees just outside the fence. It’s a great way to get free food for them and provide shade in the summer

[@possumrides8448]

Planting Oaks... great idea... but it takes 20 years for an Oak to mature enough to produce Nuts. Apple trees better! But be ready to possibly deal with drunk Pigs.

[@wtice4632]

@@possumrides8448 scrub oak will take only 5

[@cherylcook1942]

Get to it.

[@tykiajerry]

@@possumrides8448 what would make the pigs drunk?

[@issaceash7500]

@@tykiajerry fermented apples maybe?

[@rickjamesb.]

Most people would love to live this life. Great video. What I found most impressive is how natural it came to her explaining and talking about it all. I don't think there was a single cut in this entire video, at least it didn't feel like it.

[@maenad1231]

Born and raised in the NY metropolitan area and even I could appreciate each summer I spent with my relatives down south on our family farms. The lifestyle is a world apart from what I’m used to but I always quickly adapted to the change because it felt so natural in a way. More intensive farming, (inter)national food transportation & supermarkets are wonderful things in some ways; without them we couldn’t ensure global food security. However I think that over-relying on these things is somewhat unnatural and slowly killing our self sufficiency. More people should be open to adopting this way of life and even more people should be open to supporting small/medium local family farms.

[@israelnemitz8323]

I noticed that too.

[@pfe3883]

I have goats. My theory is that when a new prison is built they should put goats inside the fence for a couple months before the convicts arrive. If it can hold the goats in it can hold the prisoners in.

[@robinlillian9471]

But humans could figure out how to short out the electricity & climb out, which is not something goats could do.

[@skeetorretard]

@@robinlillian9471 goats will lean against an electric fence and stare you in the eye while getting burned because they just DGAF

[@TRINITY-ks6nw]

Amen

[@heyikindalikeyou]

@@skeetorretard 🤣🤣🤣

[@American_Liberty]

Lol! I have 6, I agree 100%!

[@livingcountry]

I haven’t bought meat in years. On 17 acres I run six cows, ten nanny goats, and two sows. I am able to sell enough offspring to buy hay and feed and still provide meat for my wife and I and our grown children. The best thing is that we love our animals. Loved your video.

[@JordanCalifornia27]

What method do you use to kill your animals?

[@livingcountry]

@@JordanCalifornia27 I take the cattle to the butcher and large pigs. I just cut the chickens throat. Other’s a shot in the brain with a 9mm sorry for the graphic truth. My livestock still gets the best life possible.

[@atlantic_love]

@@livingcountry You sure "love" your animals, don't you? You're not fooling anyone.

[@livingcountry]

@@atlantic_love yes I do thank you.

[@JordanCalifornia27]

@@livingcountry Do you think the animals would have the preference to live out their life if they were given the choice?

[@wickedquailandpork537]

We actually trained cattle dogs (Australian shepherds) to be pig dogs. We haven't put a single pig back in the fence ourselves for 3 years.

[@amandacollins518]

I wish I knew how to train dogs.

[@bellw5834]

@@amandacollins518 teas easy. Watch upstate canine academy. They are a good balance trainer.

[@delishme2]

I'm Australian from a farming family and i have to say Mareemas are amazing too. We always had sheep dogs for all livestock, but 20 years ago, we got a Marama. Apart from the fact they are big beautiful white dogs, they keep livestock safe from predators. Traditionally in Italy, they kept goats safe from wolves etc, walking them up the mountains, watching them all night, and bringing them down in the morning... I think of them as big ar## nanny dog. In Australia we are using them in all sorts of places now, not only on farms but also for protection of native wildlife. From scaring off our Dingo's and feral dogs, to keeping foxes out of the hen house, to protecting penguins on Phillip Island. Wonderful breed of dog for farm life.

[@fate3071]

@@delishme2 my dad and I used to have a pair of border collies to help keep coyotes away from the chicken pen and also keep the chickens in the vicinity if they managed to get out

[@MrDoomroom]

If you have opportunity try get Croatian sheppard IMHO best dogs for any type of animals. I saw one trained as chicken sheppard from hawks, he's actually watching the sky.

[@richardstrick]

She mentioned how many when you are “Planning”. Problem after a week the wife and kids have named them so they never make it to the table.

[@MbisonBalrog]

I could never slaughter those cute pigs 🐷

[@harolddenton6031]

@@MbisonBalrog if you can't afford to go buy pork at a local store then you will quickly learn not to get attached to the pigs,chickens or cows.

[@bigbossadidoss8678]

It’s a simple matter. Tell them not to name them, and if they do it anyway slaughter them and they’ll never name the next ones

[@richardhawkins2248]

@@bigbossadidoss8678 My wife stills names them. I learned to name the dinner in turn.

[@olgreg94]

Grow up. The kids aren't the problem you are. If you eat meat and can't kill it yourself you are a hypocrite...

[@ffksummers]

I’ve heard it said that if you have goats, so does your neighbor.

[@CelticRootsFarm]

LOL! Love it! In regards to fencing for goats... I heard that the way to tell if your fence is goat proof or not is to just throw a bucket of water at it... if the water goes through, so will the goats. 👍

[@reneerueppel7370]

We have Nigerian goats and we had problems keeping them in at first. Now we have learned that panels and hot wire just like with pigs will keep them in.

[@CelticRootsFarm]

@@reneerueppel7370 Good tip... thanks! 👍

[@reneerueppel7370]

@@CelticRootsFarm welcome

[@keenanbailey3949]

@@CelticRootsFarm Heard the same thing from an employee at the farm store...."If it ain't water tight, it ain't goat tight!"

[@chriskringle1298]

She isn’t kidding about about the pigs when I was a kid we had run of around 20 Russian boars I came home from school to the volunteer fire department my parents volunteered at, chasing about 15 of the boars. Muddy and bloody it took another hour for them to contain them. I grew up in a prepping environment before prepping was a thing and took for granted a lot of it. 20 or so years later I’m finding myself obsessed with it.

[@AJ-ox8xy]

I'm trying to do the same thing. I used to be a farm sitter and fell in love with farm life. Unfortunately there's a lot of money I need to make before I can just buy/rent land inorder to afford anything I want to build. I'm working on it in small steps though. If everything works out in about 6 years when I turn 30 I'll be able to start something.

[@leoscheibelhut940]

Check out Greg Judy's videos and Joel Salatin's. Good luck from a former dairy farmer.

[@AJ-ox8xy]

@@68Tboy I have thanks. As much as it's an excellent lower cost way to get started, it still requires a level of networking and put front cost that I just don't have. I'm already on a good path as is. In a few years I should have enough to buy some land and then work my way up to purchasing animals along with building a house.

[@angelisa368]

How do you become a farm sitter?!

[@AJ-ox8xy]

@@angelisa368 I started volunteering at farms and eventually acquired skills needed to take care of them. I then advertised my self through mostly word of mouth and social media within my area and around the US. Eventually I was able to find a group of farmers that are either getting older and their children refuse to participate in the farm or those that want to take vacations from the farming life every year for a few weeks. So far its a very good job. I learn and gain experience from various parts of the country in how they farm, while making a small living where I am basically off the grid. It will never make me rich, but it will make me a farmer one day.

[@Wakeywhodat]

@@AJ-ox8xy Good for you!

[@OAlison]

the dog is the only thing not being eaten and he looks happy as a clam.

[@garethmccarthy2990]

I've never understood why eating some animals is good but others not, why not eat the dog?

[@Gokusaiyan.]

@@garethmccarthy2990 exactly, but in china dog aren't safe either in india if you eat beef youd be choped by religious group

[@jackmion]

@@garethmccarthy2990 because they have other abilities.

[@fate3071]

Well having lived on a farm we don't eat our dogs and cats because their purpose is to catch and kill pests like mice, rats, and other larger rodents. The dogs also aid in hunting so they pay for themselves with the food they help bring to the table

[@OAlison]

@@fate3071 That really is the best answer

[@Laggy2000]

the cows in the background like, this lady is talking about eating us.

[@karongoodine3288]

😂😂

[@methodcure4102]

🤣🤣🤣

[@cybco]

How bout the pigs and chicks? And salmon, and crabs ........

[@LeatherCladVegan]

I doubt the cows can understand her accent, tbh.

[@Brian-yz8dj]

@@LeatherCladVegan what accent?

[@frequentlycynical642]

She's so articulate, which I SO appreciate. I passed this video on to a friend who just bought 6 acres here in south central Texas.

[@paulfadden8834]

13:00 For long term fencing, I thought growing Hazel trees would be good. They grow fast, they are hard wood, which is great for burning, the produce a crop and if you cut them you can push them down, secure them on the verticle and they will root, you can then weave them into a living fence. A lot of work, long term project, but low cost and has other benefits.

[@docgmoney1790]

Our pig got arrested while the wife was outa town!!!! HAHAHA they found him blocks away eating the neighbors flowers. They are such funny animals! Thank you for all the information this was a great video. Will be checking out more content!

[@priestesslucy3299]

That doesn't make any sense. The pigs never arrest eachother

[@Honeybeemom3]

The mountains in the background are stunning.

[@rainriderpnw6259]

What a great sense of humor about the pig adventure, and what common sense operation she has. Great practical advice on what to expect as far as maintenance and yield. Thanks

[@brocknspectre1221]

This is such a great video! Tons of solid info given clearly, quickly and briefly. Normally I’d have to watch six or seven videos and wade through multiple well meaning music montages before I could get half that much information! Well done and thank you!

[@fraserhardmetal7143]

Wow - all delivered without a script and very well said -you know your stuff.

[@jamiebrandon4256]

I leave my guinea hogs in the pasture to graze with my cows. They never try to get out. The grass makes the meat taste awesome

[@dmorris9268]

If something really bad happens in this country , all those questions why people homestead will answer themselves! Good job as always

[@lovechallanges1608]

Your video is extremely helpful for me. In about 6 months or so my boyfriend and kids will be moving to a place where we will have to hunt for our food. That is extremely excited about. So any info is very helpful for people like us who have NEVER done this before.

[@faithandfarrahforever]

This is one of my dreams. Hoping one day, my husband and I will be able to maintain this type of lifestyle.

[@hendyiwan9998]

umm .. got the husband already ? XD

[@loriarnold9011]

You’re not alone!

[@vLinko777]

@@hendyiwan9998 get it

[@klytouch5285]

@@ayamgigantepinas no.. I am her future husband...😁 Kidding ...

[@jiliciar.1423]

Aww.

[@coeja73]

I appreciate how honest you are

[@cathodion]

This video opened my eyes to the possibilities of being self-sufficient with meat too. Thanks!

[@chasbo25]

That is one very happy dog😎 I love watching these videos for the memories. We had a 120 acre family farm for 40 years in SE Wisconsin. We lived about 45 minutes away, but I spent a big portion of my life on the farm. We had 4 ponds with great fishing and the hunting was incredible. Our deer were corn fed because we leased out the land to a neighbor and he planted corn and beans. My mom's garden was huge and was always organic; we were spoiled with great veggies. She did a lot of canning too. We had horses and some years raised a couple of cows.

[@danielethier2015]

Great content and well executed explaining all necessary measures and requirements. Love the colors of those chickens you displayed from your freezer...also no bleaching...oops, I didn't say that! Got to love the farm life!! Thanks for sharing A special thanks to those who have showed respect by not leaving negative comments....as a hunter, boy I do get my fair share of bumps in the head even though I do harvest out of respect. Peace to all

[@jasonbuzzard3127]

The information was helpful. As a beginner homesteader, it's nice to see good comparison. You did a good job presenting the work, financing and yield balance.

[@christiancowboy352]

I grew up on a ranch, and already knew all these things. I watched to hear what she had to say, and am pretty impressed with her knowledge.

[@mjollnir9075]

I grew up living subsistence like this. WE grew or raised everything we ate. Our family also went to the beach at least once or twice a year to get lots of clams and oysters. ATM, I am living in Alaska for work, and my ears perked up when you mentioned crabbing and salmon. Down in the PNW, we had salmon runs too, but crabbing, not so much. Not that we had access to, at least. Where do you live, if you do not mind saying? When I retire in a few months, I am going BACK to that lifestyle myself and taking along the family. Adding salmon to our plentiful supply of steelhead, trout, pike, and walleye is something I had planned on anyway. But, adding some fresh crab too is an attractive idea too. IF it is reasonable to do down in the PNW.

[@slee7991]

Where did you end up moving to/region?

[@tashasmith1234]

I live near you, so it's always nice to see what you do (as far as climate and growing season). We are getting dairy goats this spring. Hoping it goes well!!

[@alextodd6828]

Very practical! Thanks for sharing. We're just starting up with our homestead and have two small breed pigs, two milking goats and 10 ducks. It's definitely work but we're loving that connection to the animals that goes along with caring for them. And the benifits of raising your own meat is definitely worth it. Thanks again. Best, Alex - NetZero Homestead

[@OurLANDingCrew8]

First channel that I feel is actually about homesteading! I have been looking everywhere LOL

[@landonboomsma2594]

There’s plenty lol

[@mikedundee65]

Check our elliothomestead on youtube

[@Skinnymarks]

I was wondering where she lived cause it looks like a lovely place. Then she said "Fraser river valley in Canada" and realized she's basically my neighbor. Lol.

[@dragonrider1467]

That definitely explains the nuisance blackberry vines

[@kerryaggen6346]

No - I've watched a number of her videos - she's in the American Pacific Northwest, in Washington State.

[@EricaD61]

Awesome! Thanks. I was very interested in this. I have seen large families but not average. All the animals I want. Now I know I won't need as many as I first thought.

[@HarvestHorizon-b8c]

The tips you shared here [7:15] are golden! Definitely going to try them on my farm! 👍

[@lucasvieira8357]

here in Brazil, as tropical country, we managed to raise up to three cows per acre in the spring and summer, even more depending on supplementation. On the other hand, autumn and winter production falls to one cow per acre.

[@modernrider1398]

It’s so refreshing to hear someone talk about eating meat. I’m a geek when it comes to health and living as “homo sapiens” is really good.

[@dracoarawn4002]

Need to totally do this, sustainable living looks like an amazing lifestyle!

[@justbeachy2031]

I feel like I should apologize because a couple of comments regarding the sweet pigs. Nothing terrible. I was hoping you would say these pigs are so sweet we decided we couldn't butcher them. You give a wealth of information on your Channel and you are obviously very experienced at taking care of Land & livestock. I don't want to be one of those people to get education from your Channel, then give an opinion when no one really asked for it. You appear to be a very nice person. Thanks for all of the insight you have to offer.

[@sarahpyke307]

I discovered your channel a few days ago. Thanks for the great videos. I too live in western Washington. Instead of chickens, my husband and I raise Ancona ducks for eggs. They do great laying year! Thanks again!

[@sarahpyke307]

@@richardfrank9317 No I haven't tried Appleyard ducks, I will look them up. I'm always interested in diversifying and trying new things!

[@johnwestmoreland32]

I would love to see your storage accommodations for a year's worth of meat and Garden yields. How much freezer space do you have and do you can your garden Yale's or freeze or a combination?

[@johnwestmoreland32]

Garden yields*

[@priestesslucy3299]

For me personally, I try to do a lot of traditional preservation via fermentation. Especially the pork, there are so many different things to do with pork. Meat chickens are tough, there's a system that's so organized and professional for processing and storing them... And it's all freezer driven. There's absolutely something to be said for the old-school Dual Purpose approach, with a flock of birds you harvest as needed. Less storage, less hassle (especially if you have a few broody hens) and no annual investment buying in chicks... But they will never grow and fatten up the way a Cornish Cross will. Feed conversion rate won't be as good either, but they might make up for it with foraging.

[@TheKraemerLife]

Looks like she put a link to that video in the description : Check out my other video on how we store a year's worth of meat here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4fOoKeVjcxpl6s

[@FleetwoodPatch]

We are investing in more chickens this year. I think they are a perfect starter livestock. A lot of people won’t use them for meat, but you still get food from them for 3 to 4 years.

[@DylanKurbel]

Really appreciate the video. I switched to virtual work this year, and my fiancé and I have talked about homesteading for a while. We want to find a place to make a homestead in northern Wisconsin. Your advice is great help!

[@boisterouscockfarmstead2217]

Good information. It always amazes me to see how eclectic our country's environments are. I am an American Guinea Hog breeder in the desert SW and raise them more like cattle. I will say that you might want to alter your AGH feed because they will have a lot of fat if you were to butcher them as they are. Good if you are looking to have lard, but if you are used to a leaner breed line a Hereford, you may be disappointed with how your cuts turn out. AGH are not great containment raised like other quick growing breeds are. They are best left to forage and rotational grazing with supplemental feed provided. If you intend to raise them in that hog panel setup, I think going back to Hereford (Duroc/Berkshire/GOS/etc...) would be the best. Thanks for sharing your operation. I wish I still lived where I could get seafood regularly. (We moved down from Alaska). God bless

[@boisterouscockfarmstead2217]

@Crow Bait you definitely want some fat on prime cuts. But the is where breed plays a major roll. On a "lean pig", you can fatten them up on the outside of the muscle. (Big fat cap, but solid muscle chop). On a "lard pig" it will marble throughout the muscle AND around it. Plus, AGH is a smaller breed, so the muscle groups aren't as big either. As they say, a lid for every pot.

[@Kitiwake]

@Crow Bait you need fat in your diet. Fat makes you thin.

[@teslashark]

Kudos for the pig science!

[@jamiebrandon4256]

I used a Berkshire boar on my AGH girls and it is the perfect mix.

[@boisterouscockfarmstead2217]

@@jamiebrandon4256 I have had success breeding a Duroc/bluebutt sow by my AGH boar. I plan to take a boar from that and breed it to an AGH as well and see what that produces

[@Candy-ji1sr]

Yes, be blessed by the cycle of it all when we all wake up one morning and find we are on the menu. Blessed be us.....do unto others....don't cry........you got it coming

[@phuckyoutube5927]

Love how everyone tried to free range Thier chickens at some stage and they just got snatched up to the point it wasn't worth it I mean the effort was there

[@blake9651]

Literally. We have these 2 hawks that come around so much that we don’t do it anymore. Our neighbor’s free ranged theirs and stopped this year because of it.

[@johnnewell1735]

We still free range. It helps to have dogs, of course trained to not eat the chickens! We lost one pullet two years ago to a hawk, other than that no losses. In fact our roosters have sent up the warning and our younger dog has scared off a couple of hawks in response. So far so good, and we love having the chickens out and about.

[@Noodlepunk]

I am going to do a chicken tractor.

[@mokshalani8414]

I love how you put all the tangibles in clear methodical perspective

[@guineahogbooks4715]

This is such an important topic, Melissa! I agree with the easily-managed temperament of the Guinea Hogs. I hope you enjoy the meat. This breed only requires a gallon of feed a day per pig. So you will care for them twice as long, but the feed requirement will be the same or less than more traditional breeds.

[@sheilapurvis6467]

I love it that you talk about protection from the weather for the livestock.

[@mandrake925]

My girlfriend and I been talking about doing this in a few years. This is an amazing video can't wait to check out the other videos. We've been thinking about 30 acres in texas

[@mr.perfect1er]

Family of 4 25 meat chickens for 52 weeks. That's less than 1 chicken meal every 7 days. I'd need more than that, personally, but seriously thanks for the perspective. Godspeed and Blessings to You and Yours.

[@MissHargraves1]

I also was wondering about the amount of chickens. Twenty five meat chickens a year is about 1 whole chicken every 2 weeks. Just wondering how often chicken is being cooked and are the recipes designed to be light on the actual chicken?

[@thebarefoothomestead]

when we raised guinea hogs last year, we got them in the fall, so they were little and not eating a crazy amount through winter and then they were butchered the next fall also rotating their pastures helps with feed, because they’re great at foraging

[@DerekMurawsky]

This is a great overview/perspective! How do you process and store it all? What is your freezer setup like? And how do you keep an eye on the freezers in case one breaks?

[@jerskyred4822]

I would make sure there is plenty of Wild Turkey there too.... Both the liquid kind and the meat kind.

[@ceschias3733]

What we do is have movable electric fence, which gives us several advantages. The principal is that pastures will have more time to recuperate, so you increase your capacity.

[@proudcanadian67]

beautiful property! good animal care :) and cost analysis. Thanks

[@emilyriley6029]

This is very informative and much needed, thank you. I watch just a few acres farm on KZbin and they have a much larger farm (acreage and animals) than what I know of and I have no farm animals but ample land. I am looking to have a homestead soon and this was very informative. This made me realize that I don’t have to have as large as a farm as Pete and his family

[@shermdog6969]

We're a family of 2 and we go through 50 chickens, one elk, 2 antelope and one beef. Pigs coming in the spring incase we don't get an elk.

[@lunargentleman3750]

How much you fucking eating a meal daaaaayyyym

[@zxb995511]

That is an enormous amount of meat for 2 people.

[@pudder68]

@@zxb995511 not really ... 365 days a year man .. those chickens gone in 50 days lol ...

[@brianesterly9224]

Trying to think of where elk and antelope both exist....

[@priestesslucy3299]

@@lunargentleman3750 I mean, I'm a woman (5'9, slimthic) and I eat around a pound of meat per day. I have male family members who can pound down a whole chicken by themselves for a day's food.

[@willbell2339]

Just discovered your podcast. Thank you for your content it was very informative. You ma’am are a delightful lady. Greetings from Australia.

[@vee_grave]

Melissa, I would also be curious of how your family approaches fishing.

[@foxhollerhomestead]

Sincerely appreciate y’all!

[@williamfloyd4669]

This is the best all round video that I've seen. Thank you for sharing.

[@MelissaKNorris]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@missouririverrats3010]

Love the video, yet disagree with the fencing. I revamped a 750 acre farm untouched for 30 plus years. First thing we did was fence in 12 acre paddocks with 6 strand electric predator fencing. Only tied to electric in one location with 1 cyclops box with weed burner. Worked like a charm and zero maintenance. Look into it! Great job 👏

[@julmc4434]

Hey Melissa, Love your channel! On the hens laying in the winter. You can up your egg production by taking your grain and soak it in hot peppers or hot pepper juice. This warms them and causes them to lay more eggs. We usually put the grain on the wood stove and soak it over night.

[@arancarlton3285]

they love to eat the peppers too!

[@SAINT-ANTONIO]

Thank you Melissa K. Norris for your splendid introductive information! Good to know

[@kungdu]

In Laos those guneia hogs are a much better breeds for meat and temperment. My grandmother tells me she used to travel with her pig similar to those hogs for almost 60 to 100 miles on foot in the mountains to see if near by villagers would buy them. The piglets would follow mommy pig. This would be a great way to make money for her.

[@stephaniespalmer]

We run 5 strand electric on almost 60 acres for 30 ish horses and 8 cows. The fencer is a 250 mile fencer and manages to keep everything contained nicely. Ours break right through barbed wire

[@debbiepiwowarczyk9237]

Great information Thank you for taking the time to help us

[@MelissaKNorris]

Any time!

[@MattHalpain]

My landlord has chickens and we live in a suburb. Very exciting and entertaining to see all your hard work with the livestock on your property and how you use them for food for your family for a year at a time.

[@rsahota5325]

This is how everyone should be living, especially with the covid pandemic, and before the COVID pandemic we city dwellers were and still are victims of the artificial food pandemic that is going on in the food industries, people are mentally and physically deteriorating in cities, so many issues not to mention the drugs

[@lpnurse1]

I GET YA BRO I AM ORIGINALL FROM PITTSBURGH MOVED TO SC TO SLOW MY LIFE DOWN ANDNOW REALIZE EVEN THE CONSERVATIVES CAN'T SAVE US... WE THE PEOPLE OF OUR OWN COMMUNITY MUST DO THAT ... I AM LOOKING INTO FARMLANDS FOR THIS VERY REASON WE CAN TRULY ONLY DEPEND ON OURSELVES AND GOD... GOD FIRST OF COURSE..

[@ronin6158]

Agree! Can I borrow 20 mil for the land, house, barn, livestock, plants/trees, tools, machinery, tech, supplies, and help required?

[@rsahota5325]

@@ronin6158 20 million ? Are you building a theme park ?

[@rsahota5325]

@@lpnurse1 city life is just a mirage, once you live in a small quiet setting with fresh air and fresh food and most importantly friendly normal people theirs no going back to the city life

[@ronin6158]

@@rsahota5325 somewhat hyperbolic but not much, especially given hyper inflation. Just look at the size, location and equipment of her ranch and house(s). 12 acres just for the cattle. Oh dont forget the boat and trucks. Hope they've got a squad of defenders on hand.

[@koalafan1576]

Just gotta say, when I worked at a hunting and fishing lodge in Alaska, we raised 2 pigs a year and sometimes they would get out and boy is is an adventure to get them back in the pen. We had a concrete floor and a “dog house” we built for them to live in and yes an electric fence so wolves wouldn’t try to get them. We gave all the extra food to them from the clients because we didn’t want to put it in the trash as the smell would invite bears and wolves.

[@axisofpeter]

Awesome video. And these animals have an infinitely better life than they would on an industrial farm. I know what would happen though if I tried it: I would fall in love with the animals, become a vegetarian, and have a whole bunch of giant pets. I really enjoyed learning about the farm.

[@kenzie0122]

Lmao same!! I’ve raised and butchered my own hogs before but it was always so hard for me because I got attached and still feel awful to this day

[@skipperg4436]

@@kenzie0122 well, you can put yourself on starving diet and after couple of months of it you will see every farm animal as "tasty food". Quite literally: I see goose but I almost sense taste and smell of its delicious brown flesh and its gorgeous fat that goes so nicely with potatoes and cabbage; I see chicken but all I can think of is what kind of marinade I should use for its wings and breast, should I fry its legs (and loose chicken's fat) or should I make a bullion from it and use it for a one of large variety of different dishes and what I would do with meat (again so many options...). When I sleep I see dreams of me cooking different kinds of meat dishes, only to wake up at the end of the process, tired from the cooking and quite... hangry lol. The most funny part is its not like that with vegetables or cereals or beans despite the fact that I know how to cook them too. Nor with fruits that I have whole fridge filled with 'em.

[@notagovslave5614]

I have sheep and a few goats. And pigs, chickens and ducks. We plant about 5 acres and have greenhouses and gardens. I have a job but the farm feeds my large family.

[@CelticRootsFarm]

Great info! Thanks for sharing. We raised Idaho Pasture Pigs last year and let me tell you... their temperament was amazing! Very little rooting took place... And... It was also some of the best tasting pork we’ve ever had!

[@rmar127]

If you use rotational grazing and continually move the cattle around your land, you’ll find that your pasture improves and you can run more cattle on the same sized property. Furthermore, if you follow the cattle approx three days later with your chickens, they will scratch up all the cow pats and gorge themselves on the fly and beetle larvae 🐛. This has a bonus outcome of spreading the pats further, allowing for quicker integration into the soil and it also helps to keep fly populations down. The chickens will be stronger and more healthy, as they will have a much more varied diet too.

[@SandraSElam]

This is exactly the info I wanted to know about livestock. Thank you.

[@MelissaKNorris]

Any time!

[@coachsimmons]

Being from Kansas I love everything you are saying. Do you give classes for my wife?

[@TenerifeHorseRescue]

looks like the animals are taken care of really nicely, those pigs are so cute

[@TheHandymanQld]

What a great spread. Love the view of the snow capped mountain.

[@AdolfSchicklegruber]

Very Helpful! Could you do a version of this where you discuss how this would work in a collapse situation where regular trips to the feed store or livestock auctions aren’t possible? In other words if you had to make this totally self contained what would you choose and why? OTHERWISE THIS WAS VERY WELL DONE AND YOU GOT THE OLE NOGGIN JOGGIN!

[@karinoshea3330]

We found the best way to take out blackberries permanently was to have a malamute/wolf mix. She ate the blackberries to the ground, the same with the rose garden.... and the redwood patio furniture set! Her favorite snack was aluminum cans! The panicked call to the vet got giggles back and he said that with her breeding, if it'll fit in her mouth, it wouldn't kill her. She lived to a ripe old age of 12 before cancer took her. Much love from Oklahoma!

[@virginiasolomon9352]

This is really how people are supposed to be living. Hunting and growing your own food. It feels like a broken record saying this over and over to people. Many things about how humans lived in the past were efficient, safer and made more sense for the environment.

[@CountryLifestyle2023]

Hunting isn't as a practical. I am pro hunting, but if everyone started hunting and growing to survive there would be no living animals in our forests lol. But other than that I completely agree. My long term goal is do something similar

[@carsonchan5102]

It was common across all cultures that 95%+ of population were farmers. Medieval farming was nothing safe nor efficient. Anarchy was rampant. Taxes were high to fuel the war effort. Most farmers were dirt poor and barely grew enough to sustain their own lives. In addition, there were no scientific knowledge in terms of medicine and hygiene. Most farmers were illiterate. They did not have any machinery to do the heavy work; only cattle and horses, if they were lucky. Drought and flood can devastate their crops. Modern industrial farming is homogenous and repetitive. It is hugely reliant on machinery, fertilizers, and pesticides. Subject to wild price fluctuations of input and output, modern farmers often make a loss on their investments. I think... in the most part of the history of farming that it sucks very much to be a farmer unless you are extremely well educated and have an external input of capital.

[@snivvelslurderagementai2560]

i am against killing animals though. I have lived a long time without consuming meat. there is just no need to do it.

[@thereviewer4173]

Homesteading and/or going off-grid seems nice and better than what we have today, but it actually takes a lot of skill and work to make the system run. Ultimately all these people have done is created a job. I personally want to free myself from work, not create a system that needs to be maintained permanently. I’d rather save a million dollars and invest it in safe stocks and/or real estate and live off of 3-4% of the profits without barely doing anything.

[@ellenchappell1574]

The maddest I ever remember my mom being was when the pigs got out and my dad was at work. Woooooeeee did he catch it when he got home. Fence repaired pronto!

[@KenHowland]

Hi Ellen how are you doing today

[@scotth798]

When people grew and raised their own food, they live well in the late 80's to late 90's.

[@markbrandt504]

Waking up everyday to a mountain view like!!! 😍

[@hyung9636]

"So sweet, good natured" Until the ultimate betrayal .

[@earllutz2663]

This is at least the second video of yours, that I have watched. When I was traveling back and forth to work every day, I had about 200 Rhode Island Reds, and couldn't keep enough eggs. At 74, and now retired, I am thinking about getting back into the egg business and for the fun of raising the chickens, and having something to do, I believe that I will join my other friend in our congregation, and give them away to our friends. My children coop, was/is stationary,but I very much like your idea, of the movable coop. Thank you.

[@fufunumnum]

It must be weird looking at baby/young farm animals thinking "Today you are cute, someday you will be delicious" 😨😨😨

[@ErieRadio]

Most people lived that way at one time. Aldo Leopoldo wrote in his book “Sand County Almanac” - - “the danger in not owning a farm is the believe that meat comes from the grocery case and heat from the thermostat”

[@priestesslucy3299]

They're delicious _now,_ just not worth harvesting

[@ciolocaphoto]

This is beautiful beyond description.

[@derekdemarco28]

Wow, you've got more animals than they have on The Ponderosa! Little Joe and Hoss must be jealous!

[@ROYAL5KREW]

How many freezers do you have to have to store all of the meat?

[@chickennoodles5265]

My grandparents owned livestock and I remember my grandmother catching chickens to cook. I think it was traumatizing because its the only thing I remember at that age. I thank God that we live in a society where I can just buy whatever meat I want down the street. I like to think of myself as a tough person but I cant imagining catching livestock to eat.

[@sarahall4cats176]

I agree. I stopped eating meat, because at some point I became very conscious of what I was doing with each bite, and just said no more. I really don’t need meat, and feel much healthier now.

[@lukewalton592]

That firewood pile is pretty impressive.

[@neuroleptika]

I know these animals live in almost a paradise and all that, but I still couldnt butcher my own animals, I couldnt sleep at night or enjoy the meat.

[@Subxenox15]

@@richardfrank9317 Don't mock people because they haven't experienced rural life or understand it. Educate them, or you will just create more angry vegans that keep voting democrat until we're not even allowed to vote anymore.

[@AdoptedDaughterofJesus]

Jesus loves yall

[@paparomesoutdoors711]

Unreal video so much valuable info I was debating adding pigs to my homestead this season. You did an amazing job on this video new follower to your channel and journey. Happy New Year

[@joesmith201212]

I would not be able to butcher those cute little piggies, don't get me wrong I'm not vegan weirdo but man those guys are so adorable and sweet.

[@BriannaFitness]

How is not butchering an innocent animal making you a "Vegan weirdo?!" Please tell me what is weird about not slaughtering living sentient beings?...