CrabGrassAcres

3 goats milked and 5 doelings and all the poultry, Pyrs AND daughter and myself fed. I'm ready to go back to bed! My nephew and neices are going to take over the milking and doeling feeding and help with the poultry. They will be taking care of their goats and critters too. Sis and hubby will be hitching up all 3 wagons. I'll feed the dogs and fix the meals. Plenty of milk for everyone to drink their fill! I made oatmeal for breakfast and cooked it in milk instead of water. More milk to wash it down. That should stay with us a while.

Yikes, doesn't that fellow have any brains? At least the teens on horse back were able to head off the stampeding livestock before they scattered to the four winds. My poor goats were terrified! Uhm, Mt Rider and CeeCee, that tiny covered wagon behind my sister's 2nd wagon is my ListerPetter diesel generator (5KW). We have 3 chest freezers in that wagon and they are full of meat. When we stop, we can move frozen meat to coolers and stick the deer in freezers and it'll last longer. The generator trailer is a fuel tank with the generator and motor mounted on it. That engine will run off waste oil one it is started with diesel. (I just couldn't leave it behind, doncha know. LOL) I disguised it with a canvas cover.

Daughter slept like a log as usual and is ready to hit the road. She LOVES to go. Loves horses, is not afraid of heights, likes people. Scared to death of bunny rabbits and little baby ducklings. Go figure. I swapped out my wagon seat for a van seat with springs and a back. Really like the expanded metal racks on the sides of the wagons. Fold up feature is nice too. The painters did a good job, making the metal look like real wood wagons! Been thinking of a cover story. Could we tell the onlookers we are doing a "reality show" filming? I'm sure there have to be a few video cameras among our group to bring out. Have plenty of extra poultry. Glad I don't have to leave all my birds behind! Not sure how happy the birds are about it. The geese are making quite a bit of racket. They didn't appreciate me rounding up all the goslings and caging them.

Look at the top of the page and click on "Shoutbox" and you'll be there.

Almost forgot the emergency radio with SW. I cut 2 sheets of plywood into 4'x4' sections and put them over the tops of the barrels in each wagon. Then put lighter weight stuff and mattresses on the plywood. Most of the stuff in the barrels won't be needed on the trip.

Just bought 2 9 wk old pot bellies, 1 male, 1 female. They can ride in a cage on the poultry wagon.

CeeCee, maybe you can run to Sam's and stock up on rice, beans, flour, sugar and other staples?

I'm putting in the single burner kerosene stove too. It is lightweight and it'll save having to scrounge and haul firewood. How much kerosene should I bring? I'll want it for lanterns too.

I have a high lift jack and a come-along, though not sure my come-along is heavy duty enough.

That's a relief, Mt Rider. I was dreading having the girls kid on the trail. Let's see, my Nubian had a doeling and a buckling. My FF LaMancha had twin doelings. My Sr LaMancha had twin doelings again too. (Might as well get what I want, LOL) So I have 5 doelings in a cage on the poultry wagon. My 2 Holstein steer calves are 2 months old, weaned and can walk with the rest of the livestock. I just tossed the aluminum step ladder on the back of the wagon. We ladies have to be able to climb in there, right? I think on the last pass thru the mts, we can probably drain the water tank and that will lighten the load. Once it is empty, some other freight can be put inside the tank.

Gathering up all the pvc pipe and the shallow well/cistern pump and putting them on the wagon. I keep finding stuff! LOL

A vargo would be nice! I'm thinking we will live in the wagon till we have a cabin up. I'm throwing in all the sandbags (empty) I have 2000, plus a bunch of plastic feed bags. ( I have these in case of needing a quick shelter from a nuke event.) They can be filled and stacked for an earthbag building. I'll have to toss in some barbed wire to go between courses.

Yes on the starts of asparagus, fruits and garlic! I'll bring some onion starts. I have plenty of OP seeds, including cukes. Thanks for reminding about the traps. I'll bring mine too. I have one, that is very heavy duty. On sharing, my thoughts are that people being what they are, it is best if all things are not held in common. However, when first starting out on something like this, it is good if people can be generous with one another but don't obligate others to share unless they wish.

Everybody that can, should add some fencing wire to their loads. Yes, you can build wooden fences after we get "there" but that takes time and energy and we will all be busy making homes and gardens and barns. There is a reason that people use so much fencing wire. It really saves time and energy because you aren't cutting so many trees and you don't have to designate someone to be keeping the herds where you want them. A good fence and LGDs make it possible to let the stock graze while the people are doing more constructive jobs.

I have a lovely European Scythe, Mt Rider. I'll put it in. You should probably have one too, though. Be sure to get extra blades. I want 3 teams of oxen too! My sister needs 3 teams for each of her three wagons. She has 5 drivers in her family, though the teens will probably swap out driving and herding on horseback. I like the idea of a separate wagon for poultry. It should be lightweight so can probably use one horse for it and let one of the neices drive it. The cattle panels weigh about 20-25# each. I figured 4 for each wagon under the canvas and the rest over the canvas so they can be lifted off as needed. Three wagons can handle all of them. The canned foods are heavy, however, they are already cooked so will save on fuel and cooking time. I expect they will be used up fairly rapidly shared among so many people. Remember that your calorie needs are going to go way up with this vigorous lifestyle. We will not want our crew to have poor energy or health due to lack of feeding. I'm figuring 500# for clothing, blankets and yard goods. Another 500# for kitchen/laundry/tools. 500# of tposts. 175# (for each wagon) cattle panels. 500# fencing/cage materials, window glass and screen. 300# people. (Driver and passenger, since daughter has to ride most of the way.) 2000 pounds livestock feed. (5 barrels) 6000 pounds food and seed. Before we leave, we are going to hit both feed stores in my sister's town! My goats are due to freshen Feb 28, March 2, March 12. The other two aren't bred yet, but I expect to freshen in May and June. If the goats are fed properly, they will probably continue to milk, though maybe not as much as if they were hanging out in the pasture all day. I am concerned about them freshening while we are traveling. The poultry will lay for the first week or two, then may take a break till after they are in their new homes for a few weeks. Glad you are taking the Cotton Patch and Embdens Mt Rider. I'm going to take as many turkeys as I can. I have 4 breeds. I'll bring American Buffs and American Blues in the geese.

Who changed the weight limit? When? I missed that!

I'm bringing lye and coconut oil for soap as well as rendered lard. Also have several pounds of castile soap made up that I'm bringing. I've never made goat milk soap, I'd rather use the milk for cheese or drinking. Will we have the luxury of using goat milk for soap anymore? I'm also bringing 3 top flight bird nets, 25x50' each for the tops of poultry runs. Can I fasten a bunch of barrels to the outside of the wagons? I was doing some figuring and 12,000 pounds is 30 barrels that weigh 400 pounds each. I can't fit that many IN the wagon (only have 20, but I have a lot of grains and stuff in totes.) If I can fasten some of the barrels outside, I can put totes inside. (Busily taking stuff out and putting it in. GONNA make it fit!) LOL ETA Hey Stephanie, are you having your homeschooling class figuring out weights and how much you are putting on the wagons? Mt Rider, I have a 1500 gallon cistern for the water wagon. Full it weighs 12,000 pounds.

I have 25 cattle panels I want to bring. They are 4' tall by 16' long. I figured I can bend them over the top of wagons and fasten them to the sides. That still allows plenty of room above my barrels for lightweight stuff. If we distrubute them on my wagon and my sister's two they will be available at night or for longer stretches to make corrals for livestock. My sister also has a round pen. I'll bring some tposts as well and some rolls of fencing that I have. Might as well bring a solar charged electric fence too. I'm going to put the jars of canned goods in the barrels of grains. As the jars empty they can be washed and repacked in the barrels with grain inside and around them. I figured the space left can be filled with grain from another barrel until that barrel is empty. Then the empty one can be used for a water barrel if needed or other items can be put in it for safekeeping.

Heading over to my sister's farm and having them help move the livestock over there. No way to mount a gaurd here with only one adult. Daughter is not able to help at all. Where is this train jumping off from?

I decided to sign up my sister and her family. 2 adults and 3 teenagers. So they get 2 wagons pulled by oxen. They are bringing their flock of Nubian goats, herd of Dexter cattle, 6 horses, 1 Great Pyr, 2 cats, 1 rat terrier and a pair of African Grey Parrots (which they really should leave at home, but can't tell them anything. LOL) They have some long guns and he reloads. He does carpentery (not for a living though). She home schools and is into Nourishing Traditions. They are just starting to do some prepping but I have set aside grains and beans etc for them and they can load those on their wagons along with all the livestock feed that they have on hand. They have turkeys and chickens and regular guineas and ducks that they can bring. Not sure what all she has for kitchen, but she collects old fashioned kitchen stuff and can bring all that. Their teens can help with driving wagons and herding animals. I think they would be an assest to the train. Guess I'm loaded except I need to go pick up those Angora goats. Just found some, about 10 miles from me in the town where my sister lives. I'll get a buck and three does.

Oh my, you are hurrying us, aren't you! I'm bringing the lavender guineas. I have 5 so I can bring all of them. 3 females and 2 males. I don't have any African Greys. Would you like the trio of Cotton Patch? Or perhaps a trio of Embdens or American Buffs? Turkeys can indeed be herded, as can geese and ducks. Probably wouldn't want to be held back to a goose or duck pace though. A dog crate is a good size, one of the big wire ones. I won't have time to dry all my meat if we are leaving so soon. Maybe I'll have to split the jars between everybody and we'll just eat them as we go.

Oh good, I was hoping some more children and young adults would be coming! I'm adding rolls of window screening and cage wire and some panes of window glass.

I'm not sure about taking canning jars of food. Maybe I should try to dry the contents? I have 20 good metal barrels with tight lids. I think I'll pack most of my stuff in those. If anybody needs additional poultry, I have more than I can take with me. I'd be glad to have some of you folks take breeding groups of chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks. The birds would be yours so you'd need to provide feed and such. I think I should take 2 yolk of oxen. I want a couple of saddle horses too. If I'm going to live primative, I should get over being afraid to ride. Anybody taking cows should just have them bred first. Some are sure to have bull calves and that would take care of breeding later. I might try to get a couple of Angora goats too, before we leave.

Arby, if you want, you can take my treadle sewing machine. It has all kinds of attachments and does lots of neat stuff. I don't sew much any more, so I could just come visit when I want to sew something. I don't think you'd ever be able to use yours again. I also have some extra grains you can take on your wagon.

.Firegirl, check with Stephanie, I think she has a Nubian buck. I'm bringing an Alpine buck, so you probably don't need a buck, just does.