Raspberries and Livestock
I’m trying out a new method of supporting the raspberry/blackberry bushes that I read about in The Good Life. I spent the morning clearing out the old canes and tying the new ones onto bamboo stakes (several canes per stake) using velcro plant tie tape (so that I can go back and add any new branches that may grow over the summer). The plants run alongside the path that my husband brings his bike through every day, so the plants have to stay as upright as possible. I’m a little worried that the bamboo might not be substantial enough, but it seemed to work okay, and I can always replace it with something bigger if I have to.
Danielle and Phelan’s comments on one of my earlier posts about raising their own meat, as well as Steph’s musings about not being able to kill any of her animals for food got me thinking about my own visions of farm life. I dream of having enough space to raise chickens and a few goats but there’s no way I’ll ever be able to eat any of them. The reason that I ever became a vegetarian in the first place was because I’d spent many years hunting deer and moose at my dad’s side and watching my grandfather kill the chickens, cows and pigs he’d raised (which I’d stupidly gone and bonded with). They were always telling me to “harden up”, but it’s not looking like I ever will.
I guess I’ll just have to build nice posh lodgings for all the geriatric animals I’m going to have!
I would be happy as a vegetarian and most who know me personaly know I realy do not like meat but eat it since the rest of the family likes it. I too cannot kill any of the animals except I found sending mean roosters off does not bother me. When they peck and chase your kids it seems to make it easier. I could never! do that to any other animal like a goat or lamb/sheep. I just could not do it. To me they are so affectionate with such personalities, and I am fine with just milking them. After all, yogurt and cheese are my preference to meat :)any day. I wish my raspberries would hurry and grow tall like yours! Wow! I have to visit Upick’s till they get past twig stage…
~Tammie
p.s you have been bookmarked for future visits. -Liking the blog!
Home butchering can be hard. My first time was only a few months ago. I had raised these two roosters from chickhood. But we ended up with too many roosters and not enough hens. And my husband reminded me that we bought them for not only eggs, but meat as well. It was hard. I couldn’t watch my husband “do” them. But I had to dress them. I was trying to find the link to my blog entry, but my side bar is messed up.
Tammie – Thanks for bookmarking me, I look forward to “seeing you around”!
Phelan – I’d love to see the entry when you get things straightened out.
Got things fixed. http://a-homesteading-neophyte.blogspot.com/2006_05_01_a-homesteading-neophyte_archive.html
This is an archieve page, and it talks about brooding chicks below the rooster entry.
If you want to return to your veggie roots, go for it. This entry just gives you an idea of what it is like.
I’ll have to go through your blog, but if you are allowed to have a few chicks, the bennifits of eggs and manure are priceless. You don’t need very much room.
ok, so that link doesn’t work. I will figure this out, some day. If you go to my blog and click on the May archieve, the first entry that pops up will be the one you want. Sorry about that.