Backyard Chicken Tips, by Tractorguy

Keeping laying hens is an excellent idea for preppers, if you have the space and ability to do so. They are an excellent source of nutrition, particularly fats, which can be problematic to store in a grid-down or survival situation. Back in the early part of the 20th Century, during two world wars, the US government encouraged all households to keep laying hens. It is sage advice.

Keeping hens to provide eggs is not hard, and does not require a large amount of time and attention. Much information is available online about raising chickens. This is not meant to be an exhaustive treatise on keeping poultry, but rather some real-world things I have learned to make things easier and more productive.
Feeding

One great thing about chickens is they can take bad food, spoiled food, or food that you may not care for, and convert it into food that you do like. My hens love the dead mice that I have caught in my mousetraps! Table scraps can be an easy part of their diet, and the US Government realized that as well.Continue reading“Backyard Chicken Tips, by Tractorguy”

JWR’s Meme Of The Week:

The latest meme created by JWR:

Meme Text:

“Why, Why?”

Because the Majority of American Voters Don’t Live in Your “Woke” Fantasy World

Video Link:

(Warning: Turn down your speaker or headphones volume before playing): TikTok Liberal Meltdowns.

Notes From JWR: Do you have a meme idea? Just e-mail me the concept, and I’ll try to assemble it. And if it is posted then I’ll give you credit. Thanks!

Permission to repost memes that I’ve created is granted, provided that credit to SurvivalBlog.com is included.

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.

And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.

And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said.

While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.

And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.” – Luke 9:28-36 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Saturday — November 16, 2024

November 16, 1632: Battle of Lützen. A significant battle of Thirty Years’ War – Swedish and Saxon forces defeated the Holy Roman Empire, with the cost of the death of Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus.

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November 16, 1841: Life preservers made of cork were patented by Napoleon Guerin, of New York City.

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We are running a Week-Long Veteran’s Day Sale at Elk Creek Company. The prices of all of our in-stock military-issue rifles (and sporters) as well as our military-issue revolvers have been deeply reduced. Place your order before Monday, November 18th.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $925,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 115 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Making Dosa the Old School Way, by E.P.

I have been making dosa — an unleavened fermented Indian bread — for more than 30 years. It has been a staple part of my diet.

Years ago my sister-in-law, who lives in India, brought me two wet grinders that she purchased in India. Back in 2020 I wrote an article for SurvivalBlog explaining how these work and how to make dosa dough using them:

Making Dosa – Indian Fermented Bread, by E.P.

Since they have an electric motor, and because of the way they are designed, they are not usable without electricity.

I began to think about a way to make dosa without electricity should the need ever arise. Years ago my dad made an exercise bicycle out of an old single speed bicycle. He removed the front wheel and the tire
and tube from the rear wheel and made a wooden frame to mount the bicycle to. He then made a hinged wooden platform that bolted to the bicycle frame below the seat, and mounted an old car generator to the
platform above the rear wheel. There was a long v-belt around the rear wheel rim and the generator pulley. The v-belt was held tight by moving a wooden stick upright between the wooden bicycle frame and the
platform that the generator was mounted to. Resistance was provided as the bicycle was pedaled by the rotating generator connected to the rear wheel rim via the v-belt.Continue reading“Making Dosa the Old School Way, by E.P.”

Editors’ Prepping Progress

To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make both long-term and short-term plans. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities and planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, ranch improvements, bug-out bag fine-tuning, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year.  We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in your e-mailed letters. We post many of those — or excerpts thereof — in the Odds ‘n Sods Column or in the Snippets column. Let’s keep busy and be ready!

Jim Reports:

After last week’s Redneck Pool cleaning project, I got the last of the garden hoses stowed away in our shop for the winter.  The stock tanks are in position. I just need to test the stock tank heaters. Those are notoriously finicky–especially the floating variety.

We took a trip down to Sandpoint, Idaho to do some shopping.  We mainly needed groceries and some bits and bobs from Home Depot.

Now, Lily’s part of the report…Continue reading“Editors’ Prepping Progress”

The Editors’ Quote of the Day:

“Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;

Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you, before the day of the Lord‘s anger come upon you.

Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord‘s anger.

For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the Lord is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.

And the sea coast shall be dwellings and cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.

And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border.

Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.” – Zephaniah 2:1-9 (KJV)

Preparedness Notes for Friday — November 15, 2024

November 15, 1763: Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon begin surveying Mason–Dixon line between Pennsylvania and Maryland.

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The Battle of Morgarten was fought on November 15, 1315. The pike-armed Swiss militia defeated the army of the duke Leopold I of Austria.

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November 15th was the birthday of David Stirling. (15 November 1915 – 4 November 1990.) He was a Scottish officer in the British Army, mountaineer, and the founder of the Special Air Service (SAS). He saw active service during the Second World War.

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On this day, Charles Dickens published the final installment of A Tale of Two Cities in Dickens’ circular.

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Seed for Security, LLC is running its Retirement Sale. Get your order in soon!

  • Electronic orders will be accepted until November 30, 2024.
  • Mail-in orders will accepted until November 15, 2024.

SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $925,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 115 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Lessons From Hurricane Helene – Part 4, by A.F.

(Continued from Part 3. This concludes the article.)

After securing water and safety, climate control was my next concern. Prior to the storm, we had weather in the 80s and low 90s. Our home sits in a field along a north-to-south bearing. Morning sun isn’t too intense but the long evenings, lots of floor-to-ceiling windows and western exposure were making me nervous about getting the house cool enough to be comfortable in. I was also concerned about the potential for mildew to take hold given the humidity and lack of central air conditioning. Fortunately, the temperatures stayed mild and the humidity quickly dissipated.

For the daylight hours, we placed box fans in a pair of the eastern facing windows pulling air in and a second pair of fans in the western windows pushing out with the blinds pulled down to the tops of the fans. After sunset, we reversed the western fans to blow the cooler night air into our bedroom. A pedestal-style oscillating fan was kept on anytime the generator was running to move air through the central portion of our house. After not having fans running the first day, it became an Easter egg hunt around the farm trying to find forgotten box fans in the various buildings for the second day. Our habit became to turn off the generator around ten.Continue reading“Lessons From Hurricane Helene – Part 4, by A.F.”

Economics & Investing For Preppers

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. In this column, JWR also covers hedges, derivatives, and various obscura. This column emphasizes JWR’s “tangibles heavy” investing strategy and contrarian perspective. Today, we look at Bitcoin’s record high value in U.S. Doilar terms. (See the Forex & Cryptos: section.)

Precious Metals:

Spot silver dipped down to $30.49 on Thursday morning (November 14, 2024.)  I consider a price anywhere below $30.50 a reasonable “buy” price. Stack it while you can.

o  o  o

Always a bit late to the party, there is this report from CBS: What’s the gold price forecast for November 2024?

o  o  o

At Gold-Eagle.com: Europe Is Finalizing Preparations for a Gold Standard.

o  o  o

Gold Gone AWOL? The Curious Case Of Foreign Central Banks’ Gold Stored In Canada.

Economy & Finance:

From the left-leaning Reuters: Trump victory to reverberate through global economy.

o  o  o

NASDAQ: How Would a New BRICS Currency Affect the US Dollar? (Updated 2024)

o  o  o

From the statist/globalist CFR: The BRICS Summit 2024: An Expanding Alternative.

o  o  o

At Zero Hedge: FEC Filings Show Kamala Harris Team Blew Funds On Hollywood Stars, Private Jets.  JWR’s Comments. How could she spend a billion dollars in just over 100 days and still end up $20 million in debt? Oh well, just one big sweetheart Madison Avenue autobiography book deal advance should cover that…

Continue reading“Economics & Investing For Preppers”

Preparedness Notes for Thursday — November 14, 2024

On November 14th, 1882, “Buckskin” Frank Leslie (pictured) killed Billy “The Kid” Claiborne.

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November 14th, 1985, the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano erupted in Colombia, killing over 20,000 as nearby towns were buried in mud, ice, and lava. Scientists studying the volcano believed an eruption was imminent and had recommended an evacuation of the area which was largely ignored, resulting in the high number of casualties.

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And on November 14th, 1994, the first public trains ran through the Channel Tunnel (“Chunnel”) linking England and France under the English Channel.

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An upcoming auction for a large wooded property in Tennessee, listed at SurvivalRealty: Gorgeous Hilltop Farm – 91+/- Acres.

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SurvivalBlog Writing Contest

Today we present another entry for Round 115 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize:

  1. The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000.
  2. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value),
  3. A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — a whopping 21,970 calories, all made and packaged in the USA — courtesy of Ready Made Resources (a $350 value),
  4. American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is providing a $300 certificate good towards any of their DVD training courses. Their course catalog now includes their latest Survival Gunsmithing course.
  5. HSM Ammunition in Montana is providing a $250 gift certificate. The certificate can be used for any of their products.

Second Prize:

  1. A SIRT STIC AR-15/M4 Laser Training Package, courtesy of Next Level Training, that has a combined retail value of $679
  2. Two 1,000-foot spools of full mil-spec U.S.-made 750 paracord (in-stock colors only) from www.TOUGHGRID.com (a $240 value).
  3. A Laptop EMP Shield and a Smartphone Faraday Bag (a combined value of $200), courtesy of MobileSecSolutions.com.
  4. Two sets of The Civil Defense Manual, (in two volumes) — a $193 value — kindly donated by the author, Jack Lawson.
  5. Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security, LLC.
  6. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun. There is no paperwork required for delivery of pre-1899 guns into most states, making them the last bastion of gun purchasing privacy!

Third Prize:

  1. A Berkey Light water filter, courtesy of USA Berkey Filters (a $305 value),
  2. Three sets each of made-in-USA regular and wide-mouth reusable canning lids. (This is a total of 300 lids and 600 gaskets.) This prize is courtesy of Harvest Guard (a $270 value)
  3. A $200 credit from Military Surplus LLC that can be applied to purchase and/or shipping costs for any of their in-stock merchandise, including full mil-spec ammo cans, Rothco clothing and field gear, backpacks, optics, compact solar panels, first aid kits, and more.
  4. A transferable $150 FRN purchase credit from Elk Creek Company, toward the purchase of any pre-1899 antique gun.

—

More than $925,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 115 ends on November 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Lessons From Hurricane Helene – Part 3, by A.F.

(Continued from Part 2.)

Other than cutting the fallen trees off of our state road to gain access to the greater community, the only additional sawing we did was to clear the brush from our access to the larger hen house. Seeing that a massive white oak was bearing down on the fair-sized pine resting on the chicken run, I used two adjacent stacks of 12-inch block tied together with lumber and ratchet straps to pick up the load until I could remove the tree.

 

I want to give a huge shoutout and thanks to Thomas Christianson for his January article on giving electric chainsaws an opportunity to prove themselves as I ended up heeding his advice. Shortly after reading that article, I attended a national disaster relief round table and sat in a session hosted by Stihl during which they presented their battery chainsaws and offered us the opportunity to try them. For what they are, meaning battery-powered, I was impressed enough to enquire about availability and pricing once I got home. The saw, speed charger and two of the largest capacity batteries priced out at north of $1,000 and fortunately was not in stock. Sticker shock!

While the dealer was looking up price and availability for me, I saw the 18-inch cordless Echo DCS-5000 56-volt, 5 amp-hour saw hanging on the wall. Since there was no way I could justify the price of the Stihl, I asked the dealer about the Echo for general use and he replied that the previous customers whom he had spoken with after their purchases has been pleased. I bought the Echo kit which included the saw, chain, one battery and the standard charger for $250. When I asked for the price of a second battery, it was $200. So I decided to splurge on a second full battery kit for the additional $50.Continue reading“Lessons From Hurricane Helene – Part 3, by A.F.”

The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods

SurvivalBlog presents another edition of The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods. This column is a collection of news bits and pieces that are relevant to the modern survivalist and prepper from JWR. Our goal is to educate our readers, to help them to recognize emerging threats, and to be better prepared for both disasters and negative societal trends. You can’t mitigate a risk if you haven’t first identified a risk. In today’s column, news of a positive court ruling, overturning an “Assault Weapons” Ban.

Illinois Black Rifle & Magazine Ban Struck Down!

Several readers mentioned this great news: Federal judge strikes down Illinois assault weapons ban as unconstitutional.

The USAF’s Kawasaki Mini-Bikes: Extreme Deployment

Reader Tim J. sent this video about an AFSOC mobility development: Special Ops Edition “Kawasaki” Mini-Bikes: Extreme Deployment in Action.

Washington Coast Avian Flu Devastated Caspian Terns

Reader H.L. sent us this: Washington coast avian flu outbreak devastated Caspian terns, jumped to seals. The article begins:

“An epidemiological study found that 56% of a large breeding colony of Caspian terns died from a 2023 outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at Rat Island in Washington state. Since then, no birds have successfully bred on the island, raising concerns that the outbreak may have had a significant impact on an already declining Pacific-coast population.

As part of the study, a team including Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) as well as Washington State University researchers also documented that the avian flu virus H5N1was transmitted to harbor seals for the first time in the northeastern Pacific.

While there has not been another large coastal wildlife outbreak of H5N1 since, researchers estimated that about 10%–14% of the Caspian tern population in the Pacific flyway have been lost to H5N1 infections.”

A New Tick-Borne Virus in China

Reader C.B. flagged this news item: New virus uncovered in China—is this a sign tick-borne diseases are on the rise?

Continue reading“The Survivalist’s Odds ‘n Sods”