Need meat when the SHTF? Forget freezing/storing it now....

[Vespid_Wasp]

Indiana is loaded with livestock production. I should know... I own one.

If things ever get pear shaped in a hurry...there are going to be HUGE numbers of livestock of which the owner has a very finite amount of feed to sustain.

If the decision ever comes to bartering..... for almost anything... or letting animals starve uselessly... every sensible farmer will trade you livestock for something useful.

You could probably buy an entire beef with 100 AA batteries and some flashlights.....


Just something to think about. Anyways... if the SHTF... and you like pork.. Bring ammo to my place for win-win trades.

 

[sbsg2005]

How much ammo for a whole hog say say around 250 hung?

 

[strongcrow]

Don't think he's ready to barter just yet, might want to wait for TEOTWAWKI!

How much ammo for a whole hog say say around 250 hung?

 

[sbsg2005]

Its always worth a try, you never know.

 

[ParkeCountyPlinker]

Very true.... It's smarter to trade the animal for something you need than let it starve to death trying to get a premium for it.

 

[mrjarrell]

OP is assuming that hungry masses won't descend on his operation and just rustle up their own grub and not bother paying for it. Staying awake to guard that livestock is going to be a bear. And most livestock, except for small livestock, is usually spread out over more than a few acres. While I'd be more than willing to trade, I'm not sure the stock will be around that long.

 

[Vespid_Wasp]

OP is assuming that hungry masses won't descend on his operation and just rustle up their own grub and not bother paying for it. Staying awake to guard that livestock is going to be a bear. And most livestock, except for small livestock, is usually spread out over more than a few acres. While I'd be more than willing to trade, I'm not sure the stock will be around that long.

Ours is not spread out. I have overwatch positions available on the grain leg, various bins, various barns, and a few nasty hidey holes from which to make life miserable for thieves.


I have brothers and we can pull shifts.

 

[Vespid_Wasp]

How much ammo for a whole hog say say around 250 hung?

Right now? About 700 rounds of 5.56.


TEOTWAWKI? Probably considerably less if ammo is in short supply and I am out of feed.

 

[trillobite]

I can see it now. Lots of dead livestock, the farm in ruins, and one crackhead asks the obvious question....."Hey, anyone know how to skin a freaking pig?" And the entire angry mob facepalms.
The mob might attack the farm and win, but they'll still starve. Or die when they eat improperly-prepared meat. Heck, they might refuse to kill the livestock, as they're either PETA or vegans.

Hmm...I have a can of 7.62x54.......

 

[tom1025]

OP is assuming that hungry masses won't descend on his operation and just rustle up their own grub and not bother paying for it. Staying awake to guard that livestock is going to be a bear. And most livestock, except for small livestock, is usually spread out over more than a few acres. While I'd be more than willing to trade, I'm not sure the stock will be around that long.

One second after.

 

[Gamez235]

Ours is not spread out. I have overwatch positions available on the grain leg, various bins, various barns, and a few nasty hidey holes from which to make life miserable for thieves.


I have brothers and we can pull shifts.

And with that post you have just provided valuable Intel to those whom one day might find themselves lookig at taking instead of trading...

Opsec..


On a side note hoarding food will only get you so far. The ability to replenish or produce is where it is at. Unfortunately, we live in a "consume" society. Start locating a suitable food plot with fertile soil and think about fast reproducing sources of meat.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

A good read on learning how to do it the nonfreezing way.

Preserving Meat on the Frontier.

 

[citrigin]

I think farming is the way to go here. Animals just do not grow fast enough for this to work in a SHTF situation. Just my $0.02, farmers correct me if I am wrong.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

I think farming is the way to go here. Animals just do not grow fast enough for this to work in a SHTF situation. Just my $0.02, farmers correct me if I am wrong.

Rabbits will if you have some breeding pairs. Best part is they can eat many of the parts of plants we can't and create good fertilizer while they do it.

 

[RockofStrength]

I think farming is the way to go here. Animals just do not grow fast enough for this to work in a SHTF situation. Just my $0.02, farmers correct me if I am wrong.

That depends on how you go about it. A pig does take a number of months to grow to slaughtering weight, but it also gives you quite a bit of meat for your trouble. Rabbits and chickens grow rapidly and one chicken or rabbit won't feed you for very long yet they do breed prolifically.

Your best bet is to farm to provide a balance of veggies for yourself and feed for the animals while using the animals' waste to fertilize and increase production from your garden. Circle of life and all that.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

In the early days of this nation, you would be hard pressed to find anyone overweight. The diet consisted primarily of veggies and grains and the farmers were lanky and wirey. I suggest that when the SHTF, things will need to be much like they were then. Animals provide more alive than dead. Sure a bit of meat is nice, but the milk, eggs, and fertilzer that comes from living farm animals is far more valuable to long term survival. Other sources of protein like nuts, beans, eggs, etc should be sought out. Also, here is a GREAT resource to learn about curing meat http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2055/ANSI-3994web.pdf
I have an instructional for a more "home based" method on another computer, I'll post it when I get home from the "office". I also suggest stocking the "mortons curing salt" and learn to use it now.

 

[TiminMishawaka]

In the early days of this nation, you would be hard pressed to find anyone overweight. The diet consisted primarily of veggies and grains and the farmers were lanky and wirey. I suggest that when the SHTF, things will need to be much like they were then. Animals provide more alive than dead. Sure a bit of meat is nice, but the milk, eggs, and fertilzer that comes from living farm animals is far more valuable to long term survival. Other sources of protein like nuts, beans, eggs, etc should be sought out. Also, here is a GREAT resource to learn about curing meat http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2055/ANSI-3994web.pdf
I have an instructional for a more "home based" method on another computer, I'll post it when I get home from the "office". I also suggest stocking the "mortons curing salt" and learn to use it now.

Not exactly accurate. They all ate a lot of pork, especially smoked and salted pork. Every early American homestead I've visited has facilities for raising, butchering and smoking/salting pigs. I think the difference is they ate and then did manual labor their whole lives, because they had to. I was much healthier when I was a carpenter than when I was an insurance adjuster and I ate more then, including more meat. It's something that really hit me the last couple years and has made me reassess what exactly I want to do with the next 20+ years of my career.