Preparing for Uncertainty and Self Reliance

[C-Mag]

If you like bacon, ham, pork chops or baby backs, you better get 'em now. Swine Flue outbreaks in China are devasting Chinese production, and it is having a global impact. Price increases of nearly 80% are expeted.

That will drive up global pork prices, experts say. In China, prices could jump roughly 78% by 2020 — according to a prediction by Japanese bank Nomura, on top of a surge of nearly 40% from a low in May 2018.
Prices of other meat could also rise as available global protein supplies get redirected to China, which consumes about 28% of the world’s meat.

They are predicting 2nd order affects of increasing the demand of chicken and beef as well.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/18/with-sw ... surge.html

About time for me to butcher another hog.

[Hastur]

If you like bacon, ham, pork chops or baby backs, you better get 'em now. Swine Flue outbreaks in China are devasting Chinese production, and it is having a global impact. Price increases of nearly 80% are expeted.

That will drive up global pork prices, experts say. In China, prices could jump roughly 78% by 2020 — according to a prediction by Japanese bank Nomura, on top of a surge of nearly 40% from a low in May 2018.
Prices of other meat could also rise as available global protein supplies get redirected to China, which consumes about 28% of the world’s meat.

They are predicting 2nd order affects of increasing the demand of chicken and beef as well.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/18/with-sw ... surge.html

About time for me to butcher another hog.

It's not the swine flu. It's African swine fever. It's been around for a long time but never in China before. It's a huge disaster. I never knew how much pork the Chinese eat. They've already put down more sick pigs than exists in the rest of the world. This could cause major unrest if they don't get a handle on it.

[heydaralon]

If you like bacon, ham, pork chops or baby backs, you better get 'em now. Swine Flue outbreaks in China are devasting Chinese production, and it is having a global impact. Price increases of nearly 80% are expeted.

That will drive up global pork prices, experts say. In China, prices could jump roughly 78% by 2020 — according to a prediction by Japanese bank Nomura, on top of a surge of nearly 40% from a low in May 2018.
Prices of other meat could also rise as available global protein supplies get redirected to China, which consumes about 28% of the world’s meat.

They are predicting 2nd order affects of increasing the demand of chicken and beef as well.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/18/with-sw ... surge.html

About time for me to butcher another hog.

What sort of livestock (aside from pigs) do you keep on your property? I used to have pet bantam chickens and ducks. Both of those fowl are stupider than a burlap sack of shit, but they were cool pets. None of them died of old age though. Always got eaten maimed by foxes, dogs, racoons, or hawks. We got a steady supply of eggs which was a fringe benefit. In all seriousness, I'm debating on whether to get a new pet chicken. Tbh I'd prefer a duck.

[brewster]

I used to have pet bantam chickens and ducks. Both of those fowl are stupider than a burlap sack of shit, but they were cool pets.

What made them cool? Every coop I've ever been near made me gag.

Streets of Jersey City:



My tenant knew where it came from and ran out and grabbed it. I was impressed, I'd have no idea how to grab a chicken. Turned out he'd spent time on a relative's farm in PR.

[heydaralon]

I used to have pet bantam chickens and ducks. Both of those fowl are stupider than a burlap sack of shit, but they were cool pets.

What made them cool? Every coop I've ever been near made me gag.

Streets of Jersey City:



My tenant knew where it came from and ran out and grabbed it. I was impressed, I'd have no idea how to grab a chicken. Turned out he'd spent time on a relative's farm in PR.

Idk man. I like animals, and chickens are fun despite the foul smell of the coop. They are easy to maintain, they do strange shit like take random dirt baths and randomly charge each other. I always enjoyed watching them go from chicks to full grown birds. Idk, they aren't as cool as say a dog, but I have fond memories of my childhood feeding and caring for the chickens.

[brewster]

Idk man. I like animals, and chickens are fun despite the foul smell of the coop. They are easy to maintain, they do strange shit like take random dirt baths and randomly charge each other. I always enjoyed watching them go from chicks to full grown birds. Idk, they aren't as cool as say a dog, but I have fond memories of my childhood feeding and caring for the chickens.

Get a cat. They do weird shit too, but are clean and will cuddle if they're in the mood. They'll even rid your place of rodents. Best thing is you can take off for a week leaving them a big bowl of water and food and they're cool with that. Dog would melt down.

[heydaralon]

Idk man. I like animals, and chickens are fun despite the foul smell of the coop. They are easy to maintain, they do strange shit like take random dirt baths and randomly charge each other. I always enjoyed watching them go from chicks to full grown birds. Idk, they aren't as cool as say a dog, but I have fond memories of my childhood feeding and caring for the chickens.

Get a cat. They do weird shit too, but are clean and will cuddle if they're in the mood. They'll even rid your place of rodents. Best thing is you can take off for a week leaving them a big bowl of water and food and they're cool with that. Dog would melt down.

I'm allergic to cats, but I grew up with them my whole life too. I had a big mean orange striped tabby who was a real motherfucker, though I did love him. Cats are fucking weird. They only pretend to care for you if you feed them. Had I died in that house by myself, I predict my cat would have given me about 45 minutes before eating my carcass.

[SuburbanFarmer]

I used to have pet bantam chickens and ducks. Both of those fowl are stupider than a burlap sack of shit, but they were cool pets.

What made them cool? Every coop I've ever been near made me gag.

Streets of Jersey City:



My tenant knew where it came from and ran out and grabbed it. I was impressed, I'd have no idea how to grab a chicken. Turned out he'd spent time on a relative's farm in PR.

Better if you use a chicken tractor. Basically, a mobile coop that you wheel to different spots in the yard. They get every insect in the vicinity, and fertilize. Great for gardening.

[Speaker to Animals]

Also not very profitable.

[Speaker to Animals]

If you are really efficient, you can raise meat chickens like that such that your cost per lbs is comparable to what you get at the grocery store (maybe a little more), but obviously no chemicals and hormones.

Good for self-sufficiency. Not very profitable.

Edit:

Also consider the cost of processing them, either in your time or to pay somebody to do it.