Food for Survival VI

Another thing that you may be able to grow is some of your own meat. Many people consider raising meat as mini-farming or homesteading. While I know that city dwellers will not be able to raise their own meat, those in very small towns and in the country can. I will not go into the how to here just a couple of suggestions. My two favorite survival animals are rabbits and chickens. Think about it; even if you needed to evacuate, a few rabbits or chickens could be quickly butchered and field dressed and taken along. Those who live in a small enough town with few zoning laws should be able to get by raising a few rabbits. All you need is a good clean hutch, dry bedding and a good supply of food and water. Chickens need a little more space as they need nesting boxes, some floor space to move around and possibly an outside exercise yard. Chickens are actually my favorite as they not only provide meat but eggs as well. With a rooster and a couple of setting hens, you can have a continous supply of eggs and meat. Just remember, animals tie you down. They need to be fed and watered each day and unless you can get someone to do this for you, you cannot leave for the weekend or for a vacation. These are the only two animals that I consider survival animals. Anything larger should be left to the hobby farm or homesteader. Many of those are also survivalists, but there are many books written about homesteading and small farming. With the things I have covered so far and a little imagination, I think that you can see how much of your own food you could raise. One thing more about raising food; learn to raise your fruits and vegetables organically. Relying on commercial fertilizers is like relying on anything else in the food chain. It needs to be manufactured, brought to your location and purchased. In a catastrophe this would probably not happen. Doing things organically does not cost anything and is relitively simple. It means making compost, mulching your garden and possibly finding a source for some manure. It will save you money now and could be a life saver in the future. Remember, you do not need a major disaster or survival situation to appreciate the value of having good home grown food on hand.