When there is no resupply

[grayghost668]

I had a friend that was a dairy farmer. We would get a call when he had a Holstein that was down with a split hip. We would go over, put it down, string it up on the Bobcat and have it skinned and quartered before dark.
Very similar to doing a deer.
Dairy cows aren’t the best eating beef. But they do make decent ground beef. Just info for SHTF.

there is a local auction here that almost every auction there will be a few Dairy cows go thru I have seen them go for $350 to $400 quite a few times,,,, pay someone 50 to 75 to have it hauled to the house,,, they will make a lot of hamburger, do the whole nasty job yourself and you have hamburger for under a $1.00 per pound

 

[rainingcatzanddogs]

Not to get too graphic but, anatomy, is anatomy; joints are connected similarly, organs are contained in a body cavity...and similarly shaped/textured. Disassembling the parts isn't that hard if you know the tissues you are looking at.

 

[Arcticdude]

When I was a kid most dairymen would just knock a bull calf over the head and toss them in the manure pond. At that time dairy bull calves had no value. If you wanted to buy a day old bull calf they went for $5 a head.

 

[Arcticdude]

Not to get too graphic but, anatomy, is anatomy; joints are connected similarly, organs are contained in a body cavity...and similarly shaped/textured. Disassembling the parts isn't that hard if you know the tissues you are looking at.

That's right. Butchering is easy. I'd say that just about anyone could do it. And I think after SHTF many people will be getting a hands on crash course in butchering. Probably the trickiest part will be learning how to sharpen a knife.

 

[bigpaul]

in the woke vegan anti hunting anti shooting snowflake ridden cities of the UK, not a chance in hell!

 

[GaRp58]

I do want to learn more about edible plants in this area.

Have this printed out in color and learn a plant a day for the future...Gary

 

[GeorgiaPeachie]

That's right. Butchering is easy. I'd say that just about anyone could do it. And I think after SHTF many people will be getting a hands on crash course in butchering. Probably the trickiest part will be learning how to sharpen a knife.

Or perhaps, how to not cut yourself with that sharp knife!

 

[bigpaul]

Or perhaps, how to not cut yourself with that sharp knife!

better to cut yourself with a sharp knife than a blunt one, I was told getting wounded with a blunt knife was worse.

 

[Holly1]

There are some garden/farming leaders of sort doing the exact thing. Telling everyone to plant a garden NOW. Instructing folks to plant seed everywhere for others to have something to eat. To gather folks together now and start large gardens. The main instruction from people like Christian of Ice Age Farmer, and Marjorie Wildcraft is to reach out and form connections to build a LOCAL NETWORK! Our distributed system of eating and therefore staying alive is crashing before our very eyes! It is happening, but sadly the majority do not see it, yet. By the time they do, it will be far too late.

Here are several really good videos by Marjorie Wildcraft…who has traveled the world and gathered valuable crop growing information and Christian Westbrook.

https://www.naturalnews.com/2022-04...rtilizer-deliveries-are-now-being-halted.html
The videos are further down the page. At the top is news of what is going on with the stoppage of Fertilizer to farmers and stoppage of Feed for Dairy and Beef cattle.

Amazing information and I thank you for this.

 

[Holly1]

City people killing a dairy cow? in the UK? then what? they dont know how to butcher it and how will they cook it? probably eat it half raw then throw it all back up again!! most people havent got a clue and with all the woke vegan rubbish that we see these days I cant even see that happening. you ever tried to catch a cow, it'll kick you in the head then trample all over you when your on the ground, ask a few dog walkers who've had that treatment, it really is a non starter. dont give people too much credit, most of them are stupid. cattle kill more people in the UK than any other species of animal and thats a known fact.
I know someone who butchered a Sheep in his bath but he was a farm worker so he had at least some idea of how to do it.

True enough. I do probably give them too much credit. Also a lot of the farmers have shotguns. I'm just trying to get an idea of how feral people will get when starving and how bad things are likely to be.

 

[Holly1]

I would add one more thing to your list...grow regionally adapted perennials where you can. Once established they are able to survive with little care/water/weeding and many can be grown in shade or partial shade where common annual vegetables will give poor yields, if they can be grown at all. This reduces your caloric needs as you will not have to work so hard to get a harvest.

Brilliant advice. Thank you. I have some hardy artichokes on order and they can be left in the ground and harvested when needed, which helps me as I don't have a lot of storage space. I'm also taking seed heads off of Burdocks when I see them.

 

[Holly1]

Grow Amaranth everywhere.

I recently bought some of that. I can't wait to see how it does here. Thanks.

 

[Holly1]

A week or so ago the snow had melted off our garden so I started tilling. Since then we've had a couple feet of new snow. Now that its melting there is mud everywhere that isn't still covered in snow. We have a relatively short growing season at out place (5,000 foot elevation) and can get frost most any time of the year. We have great soil and can grow most anything we want, but some times we have to replant due to an unexpected hard freeze, hail storms or downpours. We have a greenhouse on order that will extend our growing season. We're well stocked up on heirloom seeds and regular seeds. For fertilizer we produce our own cow and chicken manure. We plan to add rabbits soon too. We butcher a beef every year for ourselves, one for the kids, trade a couple for firewood and sell several more to people in the area. Plus we take quite a few beef to the auction too. We also have a lot of wild game here on our property and in the area. I never hunt on our own land, for now, and I never let anyone else hunt here either. We have fish in our pond and the streams and lakes are loaded with fish.
I do want to learn more about edible plants in this area.

I lost a batch of squash because of and unexpected freeze. By the time I'd replanted and the plats got going, the season was over. It is so annoying when it happens. I hope your greenhouse arrives soon. I don't have the space for a greenhouse sadly. I'm cutting the top off fizzy pop bottles and using them as a sort of cloche. It helps a little.

 

[bigpaul]

Squash unfortunately even if the plants get going need a lot of space.
the 5 litre bottles of water you can get in most supermarkets make ideal "mini greenhouses".

 

[bigpaul]

True enough. I do probably give them too much credit. Also a lot of the farmers have shotguns. I'm just trying to get an idea of how feral people will get when starving and how bad things are likely to be.

Britain in that respect will be much different to America. most people will wait too long for someone else-the govt or some charity- to come and save them, most people will survive as long as their food stores-whats in their cupboards and freezers- do but as most people only do a weekly shop or sometimes twice or even 3 times a week that isnt going to last long. maybe a month but probably a lot less in most cases.
anyone who lives in a big city or near a big city or an urban town with a large population "may" have problems with looters but the further one is away from these locations the better off they will be, people are not going to travel far from where they live, they wont abandon their homes but they will travel as far as they can in one day and still get home that evening, once the petrol stations are empty, most British people drive on empty, that means they will be walking so that lessens the mileage even more.

 

[DrHenley]

That's right. Butchering is easy. I'd say that just about anyone could do it. And I think after SHTF many people will be getting a hands on crash course in butchering. Probably the trickiest part will be learning how to sharpen a knife.

I have not butchered a cow, but cows have the same muscles as deer and I've butchered plenty of deer by just separating the muscles and vacuum packing each muscle. Some, like the loins, are too big and I just I cut them in half, thirds, or quarters so they fit in the vacuum bags.
FoodSaver makes a large heavy duty vacuum packer with heavy duty multi-layer vacuum bags called the "GameSaver." I have found that the regular vacuum bags sometimes develop leaks, but the GameSaver bags do not.
https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-Vacuum-GM710-000-GameSaver-Sealing/dp/B016C4KJS0https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-GameSaver-BPA-Free-Multilayer-Construction/dp/B002DHRHOAFresh properly vacuum packed meat in the GameSaver bags lasts a long long time in a deep freeze (non-frost free). When our big chest freezer died, I found some vacuum packed venison down in the bottom that had been in there for many years. Still good as new.

 

[Holly1]

Britain in that respect will be much different to America. most people will wait too long for someone else-the govt or some charity- to come and save them, most people will survive as long as their food stores-whats in their cupboards and freezers- do but as most people only do a weekly shop or sometimes twice or even 3 times a week that isnt going to last long. maybe a month but probably a lot less in most cases.
anyone who lives in a big city or near a big city or an urban town with a large population "may" have problems with looters but the further one is away from these locations the better off they will be, people are not going to travel far from where they live, they wont abandon their homes but they will travel as far as they can in one day and still get home that evening, once the petrol stations are empty, most British people drive on empty, that means they will be walking so that lessens the mileage even more.

That is a very good and well made point. My brain has a tendency to go to 'worse case mode' when I ponder such things. In your opinion, friend, how do you think countryside dwellers who run out of food will react? Can you see them going after people's allotments, for instance? Can you see them going after farmer's chickens or eggs?
You made an excellent point further up on this thread when you said that people will not have fuel to cook food with. I think a lot near me order a pizza if the power goes off, and that is fine for one day, but I don't think they have any long term plans. Any tips on cutting down food smells when cooking when no else can?
Any advice is welcomed and I am grateful for your comments so far.

 

[bigpaul]

That is a very good and well made point. My brain has a tendency to go to 'worse case mode' when I ponder such things. In your opinion, friend, how do you think countryside dwellers who run out of food will react? Can you see them going after people's allotments, for instance? Can you see them going after farmer's chickens or eggs?
You made an excellent point further up on this thread when you said that people will not have fuel to cook food with. I think a lot near me order a pizza if the power goes off, and that is fine for one day, but I don't think they have any long term plans. Any tips on cutting down food smells when cooking when no else can?
Any advice is welcomed and I am grateful for your comments so far.

it depends what you mean by "countryside dwellers", if you mean the "born there, live there, die there" brigade then no, but the incomers, the commuters may be very different but if they start attacking and looting the old time country dwellers then they may be in for a shock.
we had a career burglar who made the mistake of trying to steal from a small town not far from here where I used to live, he was caught and hung out of an upstairs window by his ankles by someone I knew (not me) and told to leave the area and not come back, he left that day, and thats in what we call the "good days", after the collapse you can imagine what would happen.
as for take away food, only one take away out here in the sticks, thats a fish and chip shop and TBH their stuff isnt worth eating. we are too far out from anywhere for a take away delivery.
I dont know any way of cutting down on food smells but immediately post collapse it may be wise to refrain from cooking for awhile and eat those things that can be eaten cold or with little cooking, cold meats, corned beef, cheese or warm a can of soup if its a cold day.
I have a lot of those camping meal pouches and they can be boiled in the bag with little or no aroma in a few minutes.
there will be a reduction in population after awhile as the population moves away, relocates or is taken ill from lack of food and water so they wont be moving about much.

 

[Arcticdude]

in the woke vegan anti hunting anti shooting snowflake ridden cities of the UK, not a chance in hell!

Can't speak for the UK, but in the US there are more city hunters than rural hunters. Primarily because by population more people live in citys than rural areas. No doubt most of the inner cities, ghettos and high rise dwellers won't have a clue. Just because someone lives in a city doesn't mean that they don't know anything about hunting, fishing or survival. I would never underestimate what knowledge another person possess.

 

[Holly1]

Thank you, BigPaul. I don't know what it is like for you nor am I digging for info. Please do not share anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.
Where I am we have famers with large acreage, many crop types plus livestock.
A few have very large, old homes (must have cost a fortune to buy and really gorgeous places) and large gardens - mostly landscaped by professionals, pea gravel drives and shrubs with not much maintenance required.
Some are elderly and have space but don't grow food.
Some of us, like me, only have a small garden but try our best to grow what we can given the circumstances.
Some are no doubt born here. I came from another village 15 miles away.
Some have accents from other places ... Maybe London or Kent? I am not really sure. These people obviously have money as they have paved driveways, perfectly manicured lawns with no 'weeds' (food as I consider them) really nice cars and the like. I don't see much food growing going on, mind.
There is also an area of council places. I have nothing against council estates as I grew up on one. These people don't seem to be doing anything - and this does worry me. They do not even worry about cutting the grass and some of them have skips full of rubbish and the like.
Being completely honest, it is the last type that concern me the most. If/when the power is off and the food runs out ...well, these people will be a handful; some of them already are on the weekends once they have had a skin-full or when the drugs kick in - if you get what I mean.
I cannot afford to move. I do have skills and gear that would allow me to leave for an extended period, if it really did go bananas here. That said, all my livestock (mainly birds) would perish and the thought of coming home again (if I had to leave) and trying to to find stock ... well, it does worry me.
You seem like a strong, knowledgeable, stoic person - any advice for me on this, please? Best wishes.