Episode-2737- Dr. Ken Berry and Jack Spirko on the Proper Human Diet

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:51:56 — 25.6MB)

Ken and I decided to get together today and discuss the proper human diet (keto) as a component of a prepared lifestyle.  We discuss far more than weight loss today, we focus mostly on reversing and elimination of chronic modern illnesses.

Personally since switching to a keto diet in August of 2019 I have lost over 65 pounds.  More over I have reversed pre diabetes, metabolic syndrome and according to many folks I look 10 years younger.  Ken experienced a similar transition when he found this way of eating quite a few years ago and he will tell that story today.

We also cover how to manage food storage when you are not living on rice and beans.  Homesteading with keto in mind.  The role of animals in homestead systems that support the proper human diet and more.

Resources for today’s show…

 

Ken’s Links

 

Sponsors of the Day

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

Boska Cheese Slicer – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 1

boskaEvery day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the Boska Cheese Slicer.  A while ago I did a show on kitchen items and you may wonder why this wasn’t on it, well simply because it was 15 vs. 16 items for that show.

I am a country boy, you cut cheese with a knife and never really understood what one would need a dedicated tool to slice cheese with before.  Grating sure, but cutting, get your knife out boy and go to it!  Then I met my wife, my wife’s parent are first generation Dutch Immigrants.

These people eat cheese WITH butter and eat cheese like no one I have ever met!  Two of our favorites are Leyden and Aged Gouda.  Frankly I didn’t even know there was a sharp aged version of Gouda or a marvelous cheese called Leyden until I met Dorothy.

I also still remember the first time she brought me some Leyden on a “Dutch Rusk” with butter.  The flavor was awesome but what blew me away was the thinly sliced cheese with the caraway seeds just perfectly opened.  So I got up to see how this was done.  She had a very old slicer from Holland, we used it for years an it finally gave up the ghost.  So we had to find a new one.

I went online and found the Boska Cheese Slicer made in her families home country of Holland of course.  And we were back in business.  This slicer is best for hard to medium hard cheeses.  And really amazing for many cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, Manchego and many others.  It lets you cut thin perfect slices for sandwiches, meals, cheese and meat plates, etc. 

I can’t really explain why but many of these higher end cheeses just taste better with the Boska Cheese Slicer as a way to cut them, they also go further as well.  It will work fine on any hard cheese unless it is a really aged crumbly cheese and work down to about the softness of Gouda, anything much softer is just too soft.  It does take a bit of practice to get the pressure right to get perfect slices, but once you do it is pretty easy to use.

Final note is that this is really for your higher end cheeses, cut to like wedges from full wheels, that type of thing, we don’t really use it for like typical blocks of cheese you buy in the super market.  I am sure it will work but that just isn’t what we use it for.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

Episode-2736- Back Yard Aquatics as a Permaculture Design Element

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:24:22 — 19.3MB)

Honestly one of the greatest things I have done on my property is the installation of multiple aquatic systems.  I likely have done more than I should have but such is the life of an educator and in the end over time it led me to the concept of the “Miyagi Pond” which likely would have never occurred if I didn’t simply start playing around with Stock Tanks and IBCs.

There is a saying most people know, that saying is, “water is life” and it is beyond a simple truth, rather it is a fundamental reality.  And one can make a case that the most sustainable systems in history come from island cultures, mountain cultures and specifically Asian cultures and all used aquatic components to their systems.  In fact in a PDC class Bill Mollison once said, “if you give a Chinese man a pond the size of a tea cup, he will put a fish in it”.

Today I did an update video of my gardens that surround my largest pond.  While not directly connected the pond is the magic that truly empowers the gardens.  Today we talk about that and more.

Join Me Today to Discuss

  • Why you’d want a garden pond anyway
    • Beauty
    • Habitat
    • Fish (food or aesthetics)
    • Reserve water
    • Aquatic plants (edible, profitable or otherwise)
    • For an aquaponics component
  • Ideas for Ponds of various sizes
    • Stock tanks (plastic or galvanized) 100 – 800ish gallons
    • Wood frame ponds 500 – 2500ish gallons
    • Concrete poured ponds – limited by budget and skill only
    • Spill trays – the one I am working with is 250 gallons
    • Preformed pond shells
    • Above ground swimming pools – big bang for the buck – can be free
    • Lined in ground ponds – bentonite or pond liners
  • Stocking the Ponds
    • Minnows
    • Snails
    • Shrimp
    • Goldfish/Koi
    • Pan Fish
    • Catfish
    • Anything that works
  • The things no one thinks about
    • High mineral mulch
    • Predator and pollinator insects
    • Breeding fish for true sustainability
    • Bait tanks
    • Holding tanks for eventual dinner fish
    • Income potential
  • Dealing with climate types
    • In the ground is the best
    • Deeper is better
    • Solar heating should work
    • Pump to the small, heat there and return
    • Shade is always good, including floating vegetation shade
    • Use local fish or fish that DGAF about anything
  • Final Thoughts

 

Resources for today’s show…

 

Sponsors of the Day

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

Masterblend Hydroponic Fertilizer – Item of the Day

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Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the Masterblend Complete Fertilizer Combo Pack.  You can get this in various sizes from 2.5 to 62 pounds.  The weight is the combined weight of the three main ingredients which are

  • MasterBlend 4-18-38 Tomato & Vegetable Fertilizer
  • Power Grow Calcium Nitrate 15.5-0-0 Fertilizer
  • Power Grow Epsom Salt

 

You can buy each of them individually but you will do better cost wise with the combo pack and unless you are using other sources of some nutrients you need all three anyway.  While there are some custom formulas most people use one of two different recipes for hydroponic growing.

  • Vegetative Growth – 2 Grams each of MasterBlend and Calcium Nitrate and 1 Gram of Epsom Salt per gallon
    ~
  • Flowering and Fruiting Plants – 3 Grams each of MasterBlend and Calcium Nitrate and 2 Gram of Epsom Salt per gallon

 

The kits are designed with these ratios in mind so say you get a 25 pound kit, you are going to get a ten pound bag of MasterBlend and CalNitrate and one 5 lb bag or Epsom Salt.  This lets easily calculate the cost per gallon of fertilizer because we know a pound of kit makes us 90 gallons of vegetative growth fluid and 56 gallons of fruiting/flowering fluid.  With that we can calculate the following…

  • A 2.5 pound kit yeilds a price of 10 cents a gallon for vegetative growth and 16 cents a gallon for fruiting plants.
  • A 5 pound kit drops the price of vegetative growth to 6 cents a gallon and fruiting down to 10 cents
  • A 25 pound kit, my preferred option will take the cost all the way down to 2.5 cents a gallon for veg growth and 3 cents fruiting
  • The huge 62.5 gallon kit will only take off a fractional cent from the 25 pound kit, so unless you just want more the 25 pounder is your price break sweet spot.

 

Note a 25 pound kit will make a whopping 2250 gallons of fluid, at home scale that is a couple years of growing for salads and what have you.  My indoor vertical farm takes about 34 gallons at start up, then about 8 gallons a week is added to top up the sump.  I then change out just under 50% of the fluid 16 gallons once a month.  This has worked well so far.  Not counting start up that equals 40 gallons a month, fertilizer cost ongoing then is 1 dollar a month.

So if I am only doing leaf crops a 25 pound kit will run my vertical farm for about 36 months.  I know there are some concerns about the environmental impact of hydroponics. It is way over blown, yes these are “mined minerals” you know what else in your home is a mined mineral, well salt is, so are many of the minerals in your multi vitamin.  If this really concerns you, check out this video I made on that subject.  I consider hydro far from perfect but it is a net gain for the environment.

From this point on though I am speaking as a prepper.  No skill I have developed so far has given my family greater ability to feed itself then hydroponics.  The fact that I can turn seed into food in 28-35 days is something that should make every prepper consider at least some level of hydroponics as part of their preps.  For a couple hundred bucks you can build half of my vertical farm and grow food for 3 years with 55 bucks worth of fertilizer.

One thing I have found is lots of people struggle with getting the Calcium Nitrate to dissolve.  Their solution is to make two mixes, one with the Cal-Nitrate at 2x strength and one with the Masterblend and Epsom Salt at 2x, then combine them.  My solution is simply to make up 4 gallons at a time, mix in the Cal-Nitrate first, then the other two and it works for me.  To do this I use a 5 gallon bucket filled to 4 gallons and a mortar mixer in a drill on the lower speed.  This link goes to a 30 minute video but it jumps directly to the part where I do the mixing.

Also this stuff has worked fantastically for kratky but you do get some settling out of nutrient without a pump.  If you want more on kratky vs. pump driven hydro tune in today to the podcast.  Just know there are some real advantages to a pump driven system and both methods have a place.  If you prefer a liquid one step product that is also partially organic, I recommend this one called Texas Tomato Food.  It works great but can’t compete with the cost and storability of MasterBlend.

Again as a prepper I am almost embarrassed that it took me 12 years to give hydro a shot.  What can I say I fell victim to the anti hydro propaganda which I break down into four categories…

  • Lack of knowledge (ignorance)
  • Intentional misinformation (lies)
  • Long distance producers (crappy varieties)
  • Overselling by zealots (bullshit)

 

Again if you want to know more tune in today to hear more about hydro in one of today’s segments.  I will simply close with the following.  Having now grown hydroponically for about 3 months I am totally sold on the advantages.  I still grow a lot in ground and honestly from April to Nov. that is where most of my production will come from.  Still being able to grow indoors, 24/7/365 is an incredible advantage for a prepper.  Hydro in a green house or on a deck is awesome as well.  I am convinced many on small suburban holdings would benefit hugely from hydro, etc.

I also really tried to be as “organic” as possible but when it comes to long term sustainability 55 bucks gives me 3 freaking years with MasterBlend.  It is also the easy button and when you learn a new skill, start with the easy button.  We know it works, we know exactly how much to use, mix, dump grow.  Master your skill then try variations.  So if you want to get started I recommend you give the MasterBlend 3 Part Combo a shot.  Even if you branch out to other options later, it is a great starting point and will store almost definitively if properly stored in a cool dry environment.  Again for my on hydro tune in to today’s podcast and if you want to see my vertical farm the entire playlist on it so far is here.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

P.S. – Learn from my mistakes and DON’T SCREW UP LIKE I DID!  Seriously this stuff is super hydroscopic.  That is a fancy way to say it loves and takes up water like crazy especially the Masterblend and the Epsom Salt.  It must be stored in an air tight container, taping up the bag will not cut it.  I now store it labeled in ball jars.  The salt and nitrate will turn into a brick, at least you can break this up and use it.  The Masterblend will seep liquid out the bottom and become unusable.

“They say ‘experience is the best teacher’.  I say when it comes to things that hurt or cost money, someone else’s experience is the best teacher.”  ~ Jack Spirko

 

 

Episode-2735- Topic Round Table for 9-21-20

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 6

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:45:31 — 24.1MB)

Time for another round table discussion. I have some announcements and some stuff that has just popped up today. I have some really great listener questions and feedback as well.

Today on The Survival Podcast we cover fishing, cooking, social media, designed cities, sheet mulching, crypto wallets, coming unrest, housing and more

  • A new look at the humble bullhead and “shucking” along with proper freezing, etc.
  • I just watched the documentary “The Social Dilemma” an had an epiphany
  • State of the Alternative Social – Telegram, Discord, Parler, MeWe, LBRY are working out well, Gab is a dumpster fire
  • A listener did some calculations on my designed city concept based on 20K residents (from MeWe)
  • Some follow up on sheet mulching for soil improvement and development (from MeWe)
  • How Jaxx and other Crypto Wallets work regarding a “stable public address” and why you may or may not want this (from MeWe)
  • I feel that America is being destabilized in a text book fashion that America has been using elsewhere for decades
  • Now is really the time to think frugal vs. cheap (from Telegram)
  • Industries that you can expect to grow in the coming years (from Telegram)
  • Choosing between Double Wide Mobile Homes and Stick Built Homes
  • Planning for “climate change” when it comes to growing your own food (from Telegram)

 

Resources for today’s show…

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

Workshop Hotel Group Rate

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If you are coming to TSP 2020 and don’t want to camp and plan on getting a hotel we have a group rate for you with Comfort Suites of Lake Worth.  The drive to our place from there is about 15 minutes.  The rate we have for our guests is 75 bucks plus taxes.  This is a great hotel by the way, really nice place.

The hotel is located at 5825 Quebec St, Fort Worth, TX 76135.  The Hotel Website is Here.

To get the special rate call 817-237-2300 and ask for Lucy Madrigal and tell her that you are with The Survival Podcast and want the group rate.  If Lucy is not there anyone should be able to look it up and make sure you get it.

If you want to share a room I recommend the TSP Alum Telegram Channel, MeWe Group or Facebook Group to hook up with others.  I don’t involve myself at that level of things.

Starwest Botanicals Whole Chamomile Flower Tea – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 9

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is Starwest Botanicals Whole Chamomile Flower which is sold by the pound.  This stuff is awesome, I use it in many of my teas and in my infamous “Three Flowers Blend” for mead.

There is a lot to like about this item.  First and this is important to me, these are whole flowers as you can see in the photo above.  I have purchased many different brands of chamomile and many times I have gotten what looked more like dust and chaff than whole flowers.

Next this is an Organic product.  I would love to buy organic or local all the time, but we all have financial limits.  With herbs though, especially in bulk you can generally justify the very small cost increase.  This product is actually less per pound than some competing non organic options.

Lastly is taste, and face it if you don’t get good flavor what is the point.  Any medicinal or nutritional value is going to be depleted if flavor is depleted.  This stuff has a wonderful sweet flavor and a characterist I can only describe as “buttery”.

Here are some of my favorite recipes for using this stuff.

Jacks Morning Blend – Nine Mile Farms Tea

 

Spearmint Orange Winter Warmer Tea

 

Both of these are best made with a quality tea infuser or a French Press.  When I make them with a french press I use four tablespoons for my first batch and then just add 1 additional tablespoon for each additional batch that day.

Three Flowers Blend (3FB)

 

Three Flowers Blend started as a tea, frankly I didn’t really like it as a hot or even a cold tea.  The heather imparts a bitterness that isn’t really pleasant in a sipping tea.  But it intrigued me so I tried making a mead with it and man was it amazing.  People love it.

Per gallon of mead, use 3/4th of a cup of 3FB, 3 pounds of honey and 1 Tablespoon of Fermax.  Ferment for 30 days with a pack each of Cuvee and Pasteur Blanc yeast.  Rack and ferment at least 15 more days until completely clear.  Then bottle.

Finally I want to point out that Frontier Whole Chamomile Flower tea is damn good all by itself.  Just about 2 tablespoons to the large cup or 1 tablespoon to a standard tea cup and it is wonderful tea.  It is also a great ingredient in herbal salves and in soap making.

Additionally chamomile is wonderful for bees, just make a concentrated tea with your French Press, dump that into your sugar syrup when you are making it up and feed as normal.  DO NOT put loose leaf tea directly into your syrup, it will make a mess you can’t imagine.   I don’t know this from experience, I know it from common sense, trust me on it.

Also did you know Chamomile tea suppresses mold?  I have learned this growing micro greens.  I just make up a strong tea and put it in a spray bottle and spray young micro greens with it to suppress mold from messing them up and it works great.  I also toss a pinch in my sunflower soaking bucket for my sunflower spouts for the birds and no mold.

Lastly, chamomile also makes wonderful herbal cough drops you can make yourself, here is an article on doing that with any herbs of your choice.  It is super easy and much better than what you buy in the store.

So with all that going for it consider adding Frontier Whole Chamomile Flower to your pantry and preps today.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

P.S. – You will note that all the links above are for one pound bags. I buy in bulk because it is cheaper, they store forever if you put them in sealed ball jars and I use a lot.

You will also note that all of the linked items are Davidson’s, Frontier or Starwest Botanicals.  I have never been unhappy with any of these companies.  So I usually shop all three for any bulk herb and pick the best price because to me they are all beyond stellar.  The one exception is heather flowers, because they do not carry them.  If you want to make some 3FB just know 4 ounces of heather flower is a LOT of heather and unlike many other herbs you likely won’t use it for many other things.  The supplier I linked to for heather is called Mountain Rose Herbs, I did that because there is no economically viable option for this product on Amazon.

 

Episode-2734- The Expert Council Show for 9-18-20

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:36:58 — 22.2MB)

Today on The Survival Podcast the expert panel answers your questions on alternative housing, knives, vehicle maintenance, fuel cans, business, cancer, permaculture, city design and more.

Make sure if you submit content for a feedback show that you put something like “comment for jack”, “question for jack” or “article for jack” in the subject line to assure proper identification for my screening process.

Please understand I receive several hundred emails a day and can’t get them all on the air.

I also do put out a lot of information on Facebook from emails that I can’t fit on the program though so keep em coming.

Join Me Today As I Respond to Your Calls and Discuss…

  • Quote of the day – “If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it.  John Irving
  • WOFATI Green House Updates and Large WOFATIs – Paul Wheaton
  • The good, bad and ugly of electric sharpening tools – Patrick Roehrman
  • The lethal threat of lightning – Doc Bones
  • Dealing with vehicle spot rust and using salvaged fuel cans – Derek Bonpietro
  • Websites for agricultural and farm based businesses – Darby Simpson
  • Understanding PSA testing and prostate cancer risks as we age – Doc. Ken Berry
  • How would I personally design the “city of tomorrow” – Jack
    • I think it might be best to “sell it into existence” (fresh and clean start)
      • Permaculture ethics and prime directive
      • Encourage or even require productive contributions from all (prime directive)
      • 20-50K max population (3rd ethic)
      • As a complex of villages (1st and 2nd ethic)
      • If there is public transportation it must be where people actually go (1st and 2nd ethic)
      • No high density housing (the only zoning requirement, minimum lot size) (2nd and 3rd ethic)
      • Nature strips and parks with productive plants (all three ethics and the PD)
      • Bike friendly infrastructure (1st and 2nd ethics)
      • Any city services must not require growth (3rd ethic)
      • Technology friendly – High Speed Internet (Prime Directive)
      • Private or Democratized Security (2nd ethic)
    • I don’t know, what are your ideas?  May be a workshop “mastermind” discussion.
    • By the way everyone is a “mastermind” at something.

 

Resources for today’s show…

 

Websites of the Expert Council Members

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

 

Sadaf Sumac – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 4

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is Sadaf Sumac.  Note that this is middle eastern sumac not our native variety here in North America.  While there are some similar characteristics sumac from the Mediterranean and Arabic parts of the world is a different species with a long history of culinary use.

Dorothy and I really got hooked on this stuff when we found a recipe for “carrot fries” which are really just roasted carrots with this stuff on them, the recipe is really simple.  Cut carrots into sticks, coat with peanut oil, sprinkle Sumac, Salt and Pepper on them, roast at 425 until done, (20-30 minutes depending on your oven).  We use the “convection roast” setting on our oven when we make these and they come out great.

One of my other favorite uses for this stuff is my Lamb Heart, Lamb Sausage and Oyster Mushroom stew.  I have posted that on facebook and you can see it here.  I use Sadaf Sumac in the homemade lamb sausage that goes in the stew, I have to tell you it was pretty fantastic.

This stuff is great on fish and chicken as you might imagine as it has a tart lemon like flavor much like its US cousins we all know and love.  On that note, the reason for this is it is high in ascorbic acid (AKA vitamin C).  Hence it is natural anti oxidant and has quite a bit of good press around health benefits.  There is a pretty good write up about that here.

There is a ton that can be done with this stuff beyond carrot fries and lamb sausage by the way.  It is fantastic on fish, it can stand in for lemon on grilled fish very well.  It livens up dips and is the type of thing that you just have to expirment with.  It is also the key stone ingredient in the middle eastern seasoning known as za’atar, something you really should learn how to make.  The recipe for that is here.  I recently made Alton Brown’s reloaded roasted chicken with za’atar (his not so secret secret ingredient) and it was amazing.  You can find that recipe here.

I want to be clear that I love this brand but I am not a sumac snob, I am sure that there are other decent brands but I chose this one for a reason.  A reason you’d not think you need to worry about.  Here is the deal, a ton of brads that say they are selling sumac are actually selling you sumac and salt!  Think about it, this stuff is an exotic spice grown in a relatively small region of the world.  Salt is stupid cheap and widely availale.  So many cut their sumac with salt to make a cheaper product.  Folks if I want salt in something I will put it in myself.  Another thing to look out for is while some brands do say they have salt in the fine print on the label.  I have found some that don’t, yet when you tasted it, you can tell it is more than half salt.

In the end Sadaf Sumac is about the best quality stuff I was able to find and at less than 12 bucks with free shipping on prime a 12 ounce container will last you a long time for not much money.  So consider adding Sadaf Sumac to your spice cabinet today and expand your culinary options.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

P.S. – I guess I have to say it, no this isn’t poison sumac and no variety of sumac with red berries is poison sumac.  So no this stuff will not make you itch.  That said anyone with an allergy to cashews may have an allergy to sumac, so keep that in mind if it effects you or your family.  Bluntly always use all new food items with caution on the first use.

Episode-2733- The Case for Bantam Chickens

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 5

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:12:23 — 16.6MB)

I put out a little video yesterday about the progress of our Bantam Chickens at Nine Mile Farm.  I just love the personality of these pint sized chickens and they are coming along nicely.  Someone asked this question in the comments section…

Why bantams and not full size chickens? They are small and lay small eggs. I would think that they would be best for someone with limited space?

It is a totally reasonable question.  There are really two angles in it though.  One is some reality, they do lay smaller eggs and they are good for someone with limited space and my space is not really limited.  The other angle though is a lack of understanding of the inherent value of these smaller birds beyond hiding a small flock from HOA Karen and her ilk.  They just have a LOT going for them.

This made me realize that while I have talked about bantams in shows in the past I have never done an episode dedicated to them.  Really 2700 plus episodes over 12 years and the little chickens have never gotten one dedicated to them, well let’s fix that today.

Join Me Today to Discuss

  • Let’s start with how livestock collides with lifestyle design, all choices have positives and negatives
    • Positives
      • Fun and entertainment
      • Food production
      • Waste processing
      • Potential Income
    • Negatives
      • Input expense and sourcing
      • Husbandry requires time
      • Makes travel harder
      • Impact on your land
      • Impact on neighbors
      • Cold and hot weather concerns
    • The beauty of bantams
      • Great personalities (rooster complex issues though)
      • Small eggs cook really nicely
      • Two eggs make one egg for larger needs
      • You can have more, hence greater is the “two is one, one is none”
      • Very happy with coop and run arrangements
      • Very suited to being let out in the evening only from coop and run
      • Happy to process waste
      • Lots of income potential though not like you think
      • Broody
      • Well suited to partial automation of care
    • The down side
      • Culls are small for meat production
      • Not that aggressive with waste processing
      • Can be more subject to predators (especially hawks)
      • Become pet like, makes culling harder
    • Some thoughts I have on having a good experience
      • Infrastructure first
      • Don’t become a collector (at least not in the first season)
      • Design the system into your life and property
      • Enjoy them for what they are, often better than TV
      • Don’t put them on lights for higher production
      • Come up with an egg storage plan
    • Final Thoughts – They are one of the easiest of all critters to care for.

 

Resources for today’s show…

 

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon. Also please enter our listener appreciation contest and help spread the word about our show. Also remember you can call in your questions and comments to 866-65-THINK (866-658-4465) and you might hear yourself on the air.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.