While most people do not consider raising honeybees on their homestead. They're actually wonderful additions and require little work.
Choosing an Emergency Retreat Location and what to do with it?
Whether to stay where you are, or leave is a heartwrenching decision. But in a seriously dangerous situation - riots, flood, natural disaster - it may be your best chance of survival unless you've planned ahead and made provisions for those evitiblities.
Sometimes, staying home makes the most sense. If you can wait out the storm, ignore the heavy snow, board up the windows during civil unrest or otherwise stay at home during an emergency situation without endangering yourself, it may be your best bet. Advantages to staying in your current location are:
- The food in your refrigerator and pantry can supplement your survival stash .
- Your freezer will keep that food fresh for at least 24 hours, longer if you do not open it.
- Your home is shelter if it's still intact.
- You have a bed, clothing and tools to work with.
- You can keep occupied doing things you'd rather do to keep occupied, rather than sit bored at a shelter.
- You will be reinforcing and working with what is YOURS. You won't be at the mercy of government buerocrats or FEMA workers telling you what to do.
- You can protect your stuff from looters.
- If you have pets or children, it's easier to take care of them at home
On the other hand - staying may not be a good option when:
- If your neighbors all leave, it may not be safe to be alone.
- If a mandatory evacuation has been ordered, you may be forced out unprepared.
- You could be putting yourself in unnecessary, life-threatening danger - floods washing away homes, rioters burning houses.
- If you change your mind, there may be no safe way out.
- Without heat, electricity, police protection - you may be in greater danger from the zombie hoardes.
- Depending on your location - spills, radiation, or chemical dangers may leave you no other choice but to don your gas mask, grab your bug out bag and get out as fast as possible.
- Hurricanes or earthquakes have made sanitation impossible, and a tusami flood likely.
- Fires that engulf everything and volcanic activity have killed many trying to save belongings. A life is more important than a few photos or furniture.
So you've decided to evacuate...get a plan - more info here.
Some other Considerations
If you are forced to go elsewhere, it's imperative that you get out early. Pay close attention to newscasts and between the lines reporting. Watch the faces of the news people for clues as to the seriousness (not always easy). Find a reputable news source. You need to get out before the crowds. Better to leave early, than be caught in the pack later.
Know your routes. Have several alternate routes in mind and some good maps in the vehicle. In many cases, a GPS will not work so you'll need to know ways around clogged roads and accidents and be able to make decisions on a moment's notice.
Housing
One of the newest possibilities is to buy land and put a tiny house on it for your bug-out location. Tiny houses are green, cheap and secure. Not a trailer, they are substantially built and some even come with wheels. The only disadvantage is most do not have basements so if nuclear war is your concern, you may want something more substantial with some kind of basement.
A Farm
While not an option for everyone, a "hobby farm" will give you the basics if you need to start your life over. Hobby farms are advertised as such and usually come with some land - 5-40 acres and a house, in a rural area, and can have a barn or out buildings. This is basically what you'll need to get started with a small garden and a few animals. Hobby farms can be had quite reasonably and upkeep is no more than a cottage without the crops and animals.
Raising livestock always has a learning curve but the more knowledgeable you are the better that curve will be to you and your animals. These are the 6 best starter farm animals for most people.
1. Pekin Ducks
Pekin Ducks are the easiest animals to raise. They are a great source for meat and large eggs. They also require very little space.They have a bigger appetite than chickens but are great foragers. You can get by with building them a small house and giving them a kiddie pool to swim in, and they will be happy.
Pekins are great helpers around the garden. They do not scratch the ground like chickens so they are kind to your plants. They will eat your weak rooted plants and keep the bugs off of your healthy ones.They are friendly animals and are a great addition to a larger farm or your backyard.The only caution with ducks is they are larger, slower birds so they are weak to predators. Hawks and dogs are their biggest threat but with proper fencing they should be well protected.
2. Rabbits
Rabbits are great additions to any homestead. They are a great meat source, cost very little to feed, and take up very little space.Rabbits’ gestation period is about one month. They often have 6+ in a litter, and their babies can be culled at 8 weeks so it is a fast meat supply.They can be fed store bought feed, fodder, extra veggies from the garden, weeds and grass clippings, and hay. Rabbits are also great for your garden because they produce some of the most amazing fertilizer.
Rabbits do usually require hutches. They can be built for very little cost or purchased. Some choose to let their rabbits free range in a bunny tractor for protection. You may also choose to raise your rabbits in a colony setting. Their housing obviously has many options that can cost as little or as much as you choose.
3. Chickens
Chickens are a commonly raised farm animal because they are multipurpose animals. They are a great source of eggs, meat, and fertilizer.Chickens require about 4 square feet of space per hen in the coop. Chickens require a covered area to stay dry, fresh water, and a place to nest and lay their eggs. Chickens will eat almost anything. You can feed them compost, weeds, leftovers from the garden, or store bought feed.
Breed will depend upon how many eggs you will get a day and will also determine their temperament. They are susceptible to predators such as hawks as well but having good fencing around their coop and a good rooster will help in protecting your hens. Chickens are also susceptible to illness so the cleanliness in their coop must be a priority in order to keep healthy chickens. Where chickens roost in such tight quarters and have weak respiratory systems, if one falls ill usually they all will. You must also be aware of using proper bedding in order to deter lice and mites.
4. Goats
Goats are great at clearing brush, a meat source, and also great for dairy. If you are looking for a dairy source but don’t have a lot of acreages a goat is the way to go. Nigerian Dwarf goats can produce anywhere from a ½-1 gallon of milk per day. Goat milk is actually easier to digest than cow’s milk and a Nigerian Dwarf normally only weighs about 75 pounds so they are much more feasible in a smaller space.
Goats will feed on shrubbery and wood. They love hay, vegetables, and also store bought feed. Some choose to leave their goats out to pasture. If your goats are in a smaller space it is good to give them a covered place to stay dry when it rains. Goats are very susceptible to illness. When a goat has a stomach issue it can be a matter of life or death in only a few hours. It is important to worm them a few times a year. You can choose to use store-bought medication or feed them pumpkin or pine trees. If you notice they have a stomach problem start treating them immediately. Goats are also escape artists. The only true way to keep them fenced in is to keep them happy.
They are social animals so it is important to have more than one. If you keep them well fed and give them a buddy, they should stay happy and want to stay right where they are.
5. Pigs
Pigs have a bad reputation for smell and messiness. In reality, pigs are clean animals. If you have the land available to allow them to free range then your feeding expense will be a lot lower. The smell factor will also not be an issue because the more you move them the less they smell.
When pigs have babies their litters can often consist of as many as 11 piglets. They are obviously a great meat source, but you must raise the babies for a year to get an adequate amount of meat from them. They eat compost, corn, other grains, milk, bread, fodder, and practically anything else you feed them. However, being such large animals they do require a lot of food which can get expensive if they are not free ranged. They require a pen with strong fencing. They are very strong animals and can escape if they put their mind to it.
6. Cows
Cows are a large animal and, therefore, require a large amount of space. One cow needs around an acre to graze. You must technically have at least 2 acres for it so you can rotate pastures. They are a great source for milk and meat. However, because of the amount of space they take up, it is fair to say that a cow is not right for everyone. There is also a lot of danger to owning a cow.
They are a large animal and can seriously injure you if you are not accustomed to handling them. They need a large water source, a barn for winter with a large supply of hay to keep them fed, and shade for hot summer days while they are out in the pasture.
