
{2012 Homestead Yields}

Broilers: Increased by $1.49/lb.
Dairy: Decreased by $.42/gallon
Garden: Decreased by $.91/lb.
Layers: Increased by $1.32/dozen
{2012 Cost Analysis Breakdown}
(2011 Cost Analysis Breakdown)
~Garden~
Seeds & Seed Starting-$348.17
Plants-$118.08
Soil Amendment-$51.53
Pest Control-$3.94
Equipment-$197.98
~Layers~
Chicks-$170.81
Feed-$343.19
Bedding- $89.18
Equipment- $132.36 (most of which was a heated waterer for about $75)
~Broilers~
Chicks-$224.90
Feed-$476.08
Pest Control-????
~Dairy Cow~
Feed- $1976.20 (hay, grain, minerals)
Milk Supplies- $102.10
Equipment- $59.20
Medical- $30.00
Quinn, you’ll like the freedom of having canned things instead of frozen! I like canning so it isn’t that big of a burden till about September :o) when everything needs canned at once. Some advice is to freeze things that you don’t get to can immediately and wait till the dead of winter to finish canning. It helps break it up when harvest is coming too fast AND it helps warm the house. I especially like canning meats and soups since they make a super easy meal for the kids to prepare when I am busy. I can’t wait to see the numbers on the hogs! Thanks for keeping records AND sharing them with us!!
You’re welcome SarDee! I think that I’ll like having meals canned up, ready to go too. I’m so terrible at remembering to defrost freezer meals. (Case in point, today’s is still a brick). We are too close to town to resist the temptation of just grabbing a bite out on those nights I’m forgetful. I looked over our finances last year and found I could easily pay for a top of the line pressure cooker for the cost of dining out in 2012!! Definitely something I plan to work on this year! Thanks for the encouragement to that end as well as the tip 🙂
Nick says: “Quinn, this is my favorite post each year. Well done!”
I love reading this post every year! I especially like the pantry inventory sheet. That would be quite useful when putting up. I am forever calling my neighbor, or vice-versa to remember what we did the year before. Now if only I could be better with the record keeping. This is such a good time to sit down and figure it all out before spring planting begins. You will love having a pressure canner! I actually have two, but only because my husband purchased the first one and in his usual way bought the biggest one. 🙂 The only problem with that is it takes forever to get up to pressure! So I then purchased a few years later the medium sized one that just holds 7 quarts or smaller. It’s so much faster and I have the benefit of using both, although I can almost do two runs to the time it takes to do one with the biggest size. My husband doesn’t like to go without his green beans. 🙂
Canning meat wasn’t something I ever thought I’d use, but it is so handy! Especially for last minute meals. Open a jar of canned chicken for a chicken salad or for adding to rice or another dish. Hamburger wasn’t something I’d probably do again, though. Just thought I’d pass along that info. I was surprised how quickly we went through our canned chicken the first time I canned it!
Love this! Last year these lists/cost analysis were a big go-to while determining our springtime goals.
About predators and our fowl: When we first started up our chickens we had guinea fowl. Our dog handles the ‘possums and the racoons but occasionally a fox would make show. I did not make the connection until a few weeks ago that the fox hadn’t seriously been a problem with chickens until we got rid of the guineas. We lost over half of our flock each year due to the fox. I’m hoping to try the guineas out again – all the “alarming” that they do may have been for a good reason and I didn’t know!
I am always interested in seeing these posts of yours. We were talking the other day about if we could homestead/farm full time ~ not here, we’d have to move where we are debt free. It’s alright until you have to bring into account what happens if there is a drought. We’ve had a ridiculously dry year this past year & there is very little feed on the ground & for the first time I’d had to buy hay in for our cows. Yes, we do have some of our own hay ( although the sheep are eating that quickly), but I wanted a more nutrient dense hay for Bessy who is still feeding her enormous calf. These costs certainly add up & I need to be more dilligent with actually keeping record of them associated with the animal ( I do the accounts for the farm, so there is always record, but it’s not the same). I guess no matter what the cost we need to remember that we really aren’t doing this to save money ~ it’s more about the quality of the food we are putting into our bodies.
Have a wonderful day ~ I’d better go & get some work done ( I have a pile of ironing…)!
Blessings
Renata:)
Just found your site and will go through it later on. I justed wanted to give my immediate appreciation for going through the costs so homestead dreamers have a real world idea of the numbers involved. Good or bad, its all helpful.