Physical Fitness For Survival, by Rob B.

With all the many choices and ways of how to prepare for a natural or man induced and instigated crisis, one detail that is critical and mostly overlooked is being relatively physically fit.  Yes it is time to face your fear of physical activity, but that is why I am writing this article, so you can have a better understanding of the amazing creation know as the human body.  Having spent most of my life in some form of sport or physical job situation, I want to share what I have learned about ways to regain and maintain a healthy you.  First of all, our bodies are designed in such a way, that with consistent exercise, yes I used the E word, you will see positive results.  Hey, if things get as bad as folks say they will, the least of your problems right now is taking that half hour walk or bike ride or stair climb or hike or, well whatever you do, start out by doing something that raises your heart rate to around 70% of your maximum heart rate.  Oh, you say you don’t know what your maximum heart rate is. 

Here is a basic way to estimate your maximum heart rate:  Anyone in their 30s, you can use 180 as your max heart rate.  It doesn’t matter right now as much as how close this is in reality because it will simply give you something to find the 70%, and for people in their 40s, for you folks let’s use 170.  Now for anyone in their 50s, you use 160 safely.  For anyone older, you can see I lower the max by 10 points for every 10 year span.  Alright now, once you have your max, times it by .70 or 70% on a calculator and you should come up with the heart rate you need to maintain for at least 30 minutes.  An example is of a man 45 years old.  He would start with 170 X .70 which comes to 119 beats per minute and maintains this heart rate for 30 minutes or longer.  The important thing is that your heart and your muscles and ligaments and tendons need time to adjust to any physical activity.  This level of intensity will give your body the ability to begin the way back to a better fitness level and not over work it so not to end up tearing those tight tendons or ligaments that need to be reminded how to work longer than the walk from your car to the couch in your house. 

Here in our wonderful United States, it is a sad but true fact that the majority of Americans are out of shape, and I am not referring to having “6 pack” abdominal muscles or less than 10% body fat.  That is not the type of conditioning you need to be for better survival, when in fact. having between 20% and 25% body fat is better because there is the possibility you may have to go without eating your 3 meals a day, and your body will thank you for those fat reserves.  What is important is your inner body fitness level, namely your heart and lungs.  These two organs play key roles in circulating the necessary blood, i.e. oxygen to your muscles and every area within your body, so it can function as efficiently as possible.  Now back to your workout schedule.  After four weeks of exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes at least 3 days per week at 70% of your max , you should notice some positive changes taking place in your body.  I will warn you, hang in there because after starting your exercising program, the first week or two your body will realize there are stored up toxins that it wants to get rid of and the symptoms can cause a sense of nausea.  Hey, you don’t want to be having to walk 10 miles to the nearest water supply in a time of crisis, and not be in better condition at that time, so keep exercising now, and you can be the one to volunteer to go get that water and enjoy doing it too.  Those first two weeks are usually the hardest, so stick to the program and you will be glad you did, I know. 

Now that you have finished your 4 weeks and now that you completed your “base” or foundation for exercising, you will be ready to increase your heart rate to 80% of your max.  Multiply what your max heart rate with .80 or 80%.  To make it easier, for someone in their 30s, your exercise heart rate is 144 beats per minute.  For someone in their 40s, yours is 136.  For someone in their 50s, yours is 128.  These numbers may seem low to you but they are in the range for your body to continue to get fitter.  Exercise at this level for another 4 weeks but add an additional day so you are working out 4 days per week at a minimum of 30 minutes each day you hit the road or the treadmill or whichever form of exercise you have chosen.  You will find that some days you will feel strong and refreshed and other days it may be a challenge to do this, but again, NOW is the time to invest in your health and not when your car runs out of gas and you still have 15 miles to reach your home or local “community” center.  The benefits of exercise can be better sleep, more energy because of your body receiving more oxygen more efficiently, and a better mental attitude.  Finally, to give you a sense of accomplishment, in two months time, with this plan,  you will have exercised 28 days, almost a full month.  How many of your friends will be able to boast about that? 

The foregoing basic plan should give you an excellent start to regain and help you with becoming fitter.  After your first two months, you should continue to find ways to give your body what it needs to be prepared for the physical demands you may face in a crisis.  If you are wanting to gain strength after having a base of conditioning, remember to start with the mindset that Rome wasn’t built in a day and our bodies won’t grow stronger unless you stick to a program longer than 2 weeks out of the year.  You can be creative on what type of ways you gain strength.  It doesn’t take 30 minutes to build strength but you have to find something that puts stress on your muscles without damaging them by trying to lift something that you might be able to lift less than 5 times in a row.  I suggest you use a weight or object that allows you to raise it or lift a minimum of 10 times in a row or in one “set”.  If you think you need to lift like “Arnold”, you are incorrect.  Your body and muscles will respond to being worked and if you develop a routine you can enjoy, it will become a part of your life and you will see positive results. 

The number of days typically to work on strength exercises is 3 to 4 days with alternating days of upper body and lower body workouts.  Your body needs time to rest and recover.  The basic understanding is that taxing your muscles requires time for them to respond by the muscles fibers thickening to accommodate the increased “workload”.  It is pretty amazing how our bodies can adjust in order to gain strength and endurance.  So are you ready to begin?  This is not a contest.  You as an individual only need to focus on yourself and not make the mistake of comparing how good or how bad of conditioning you have with someone else.  Take that first step towards a better you.  Remember to pray for God to guide you and to send forth His truth and mercy to our land.

Letter Re: Greenbackism is Not The Solution

Regarding the recent link to The Daily Bell‘s discussion of state-owned banks (Brownian Schism–Ellen Brown Restoring Credit with a Publicly-owned Bank: The Model of the Bank of North Dakota), economist Dr. Gary North has shredded and exposed Ellen Brown as a statist.

The siren song of Greenbackism is entrancing Congressmen like Dennis Kucinich and even normally reliable commentators like Karl Denninger.

Fiat credit, either through Greenbackism or state-owned bank, leads only to misery, not prosperity.

Godspeed to you and yours. – B.G. in Wisconsin.

JWR Replies: SurvivalBlog readers may also be interested in this recent piece by Dr. North: How to Defend the Free Market Gold Coin Standard: Stop Defending the Government Counterfeits.

Economics and Investing:

Lee H. sent this: China cutting rare earth exports to the world by 10+%. China provides 97% of rare earths to the world.

Peter Schiff: Home Prices Are Still Too High. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.)

Steve C. sent a link to an article quoting Marc Faber: Long-Term US Treasurys Are ‘Suicidal Investment’

Items from The Economatrix:

Fewer Join Unemployment Rolls; Good Sign for 2011  

Stocks Down Slightly As Investors Lock In 2010  

Oil Settles Below $90 On Government Supply Report   

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"Ring, happy bells, across the snow;
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true." – Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Ring Out, Wild Bells, 1850

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 32 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The TEOTWAWKI Information Hunt, by Ed P.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a survival book that tells you how to get gasoline out of an abandoned gas station with no electricity? (Why do people keep looking for the key?) Or how about a way to take a propane powered car and convert it so that you can attach one of those canisters stacked outside nearly every retail or convenience store?  Or, that a piece of cigarette pack plastic wrapper can be used to stop a sucking chest wound? And, of course, how about an illustration of how to use that ink pen as a tracheotomy tool? (Click pen or stick pen?) One can still hope. The answers are available when one knows where to look.

Since reading “Alas, Babylon” and “Earth Abides” Americans have been captivated by the concept of TEOTWAWKI.  One need not be a survivalist, per se, when disaster strikes, but one always needs to be prepared when “the balloon goes up.”  The first real preparation training one had might have been in the military (while stationed in Germany) or cleaning a rabbit after a Saturday hunt with dad. Soldiers had to have an emergency evacuation kit to get families out of Europe if war between the USA and the Soviet forces actually happened. Same thing was true in Korea, which is more appropriate nowadays, because of the recent incessant “saber rattling.” And here, one could tack on to the list SARS, H1C1, bird flu, monkey flu/pox, smallpox, or just an extreme variant of the common cold (circa 1900, millions and millions dead). And a squirrel will taste real nice after three days without a can of soup.

The world may be past a total nuclear war, but pandemics (massive quarantine), market crashes (no access to your money), and future terrorist attacks are a fact of life. It has been said that the United States is only three days away from starving; if the semi-trucks stop running the food stuffs are not delivered. Scenarios say that a dirty bomb could get set off in Memphis or New Orleans thus blocking the Mississippi River or a dirty bomb could be placed at Houston wiping out the gasoline processing facilities? Hurricane Katrina did a fair job on Houston by crippling American commerce and the economy when the average citizen couldn’t get gas for weeks. And Heaven forbid a tanker ship loaded with explosives gets set to go off at New York, San Francisco, or Long Beach harbors. If any one of these disasters were to happen or there was no gasoline for a month, the average person may be turned into a survivalist by necessity.

All serious survivalists have questions about “what is the best we can do” to prepare for that disaster lurking in the near future which just might come true. There are great books and resources out there that make serious lists and “to do’s” to help get one prepared. Of course, most reliable sources make the statement that “you can’t prepare for every situation” and the contained information is probably limited.  Can’t one be prepared for “most” of them even if there are differing circumstances and scenarios?  Yes, one can with a little help and a little pointing in the right direction.

Most savvy survivors know that the first thing needed in a desperate situation is water, food and then shelter. Weapons are the next must.  Everyone knows that it would be good to have ambulance driver, or a cop, or Kung Fu sword expert for their best friend (or Amish down the street) when real disaster strikes. The EMT (ambulance) and the cop have knowledge and access to resources that just are not available to the everyday somebody. The martial arts expert may keep you alive a little longer (may not help if you are stranded in the desert) and one can certainly learn from any of them.  It also may be nice to know someone who can use a primitive forge, birth a baby or who can make a real bow and arrow. One should take Krav Maga classes. One should have several weapons available (more bullets help) and, please, try to be best friends with a cop (they need solid, rational people, too).

The survival expert reads extensively all types of survival books and manuals. The Foxfire Book series should grace your bookshelf (you know you love butter, but you have to catch the cow first). But, what the novice really needs is more practical knowledge that is easy to remember, practical, and available.  Uncle Bob, whose cabin you are heading for, can’t use the Internet if the power is down. But that fancy propane powered generator in the basement would be super useful in getting the power back on (one must keep it hidden and quiet as the noise attracts varmints). Having the paper copy of such titles as “Special Operations Forces Medical Handbook,” a copy of “The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook”, Mosby’s EMT-Basic Textbook, a copy of “The Encyclopedia of Country Living ”, the “SAS Survival Handbook” or even “Introduction to Surgery” (how does one stitch up a wound?) should be essential additions to one’s arsenal of knowledge.  Of course, there are also many free texts available like “Where There Is No Dentist ” and “Book for Midwives” that are downloadable from Hesperian.org; nice to know stuff indeed. Make sure that you books are all kept waterproof.

The lists of survival skills can be overwhelming, but one needs to do a little research.  The “Encyclopedia Britannica” (1911), “How Things Work”, veterinary medicine (husbandry), beer brewing, basic organic chemistry, a still, windmills, hydroponic gardening, a 1900s book of formulas on how to make soap and other simple needs, etc., etc. can start the list. One can quickly see that a near library of texts is necessary to jump start yourself into at least the first few months of staying alive and doing so in measurable style. 

Our friends in science fiction have also given us a horde of end of the world titles that contain numerous tidbits about how to be successful in a very hostile, left-over, world.  “Lucifer’s Hammer” “Wolf And Iron”, “The Stand”, various zombie-type novels and others, all contain useful information (kudos to the authors).  There are flocks of end time novels and sources that can be used to garner information about staying alive in face of very ugly circumstances. A cornucopia of sources and texts are available if one does a small bit of digging (no, the books don’t have to be buried).

“How do I start?” one may ask. Where is the beginning of the knowledge that is needed and “how deep does the rabbit hole go?” By regularly visiting this blog and reading this article, part of the battle is over.  Identifying a problem is half the cure.  One does not need to spend mountains of money on food storage, automatic weapons, bunkers nor pricey “survival” books.  The basics can be as simple as the “Boy Scouts Handbook” (preferably an older edition). Yes, it will take time to visit the Krav Maga class and attend weapons safety and shooting training. One doesn’t need to join the military to pick up most of these skills in day to day living.  Ninety percent of one’s staying alive boils down to common sense (the good old fashioned kind). The other ten percent comes from luck as the odds are one will not survive a massive civilization wide disaster in any case. But, one can be aware of the possible threats around the daily environment and can be mentally prepared. Buying a hand cranked powered radio and flashlight is just down right simple; and cheap (hooray, no batteries).  Having a sturdy knife, aspirin, matches that are waterproof (dip the heads in wax) and strike anywhere (that little sandpaper thing won’t work if it is wet), candles, a week’s worth of canned food, extra bullets, duct tape (fixes almost anything), extra water and possibly a decent first aid kit are essential.  Can’t leave home without it important, and this is just the beginning.

Don’t be fooled into buying tons of fancy kits at outrageous prices that may or may not contain what you “might” need.  One can build a fantastic, workable, expandable kit easily and economically and the above items thrown into a backpack is a good start. Maybe taking the example of most Mormons, who keep a year’s supply of food on hand per their custom, is a good way to go if one has the money and the space to store the stuff.  One can’t carry that much of a chuck wagon and the horse might get eaten. If it is stored at the up-in-the-mountains retreat, one has to get there safely (no one following) and in one piece.  At the very least, one should have a “get out of Dodge” plan and a kit ready and several means of initiating that plan. The plan might contain places to meet, time tables, message drops, a bicycle, and code words.  Yep, someone may have kidnapped your loved one and you need to hear a code word to make sure things are as they should be; otherwise survival becomes rescue. One movie even portrayed a means of powering a motorized dirt bike by using chicken manure for methane fuel (still looking for this one).

A little bit of planning will go a long way in making a smooth transition from “normal” to “survival” mode. Reading a mountain of material is not accomplished in a short time and one needs to foster a mindset of keeping things ready, way before the “rogue event” takes place. The route to survival is definitely a preparation effort.  Thinking and procuring the lists of needed items ahead of time will save mountains of grief and “what ifs” later. Rainy days spent reading (emergency medical handbook), sunny days spent stocking up (watching for bulk sales of dried goods and canned food) and preparation that takes place every day is necessary. Doing one’s training now, in small increments, makes the knowledge one needs to survive more easily thought of. And there is no panic or hurry. Survival is an ongoing process and a search for ongoing information and preparation is a lesson in time management.  If one has the need and the means, now, to avoid a disastrous situation on easy days, then the “terror” will appear much smaller when the event does happen.  Self-control, patience and being ready for the unknown will pare down that “worry,” because one is prepared and equipped to face survival with surer, rational knowledge.  Half the battle will be won when one does not go into shock worrying about “what if.” And when the TEOTWAWKI happens, all the preparation and reading will pay off handsomely.  Get ready. Do it now.

The U.S. Dollar’s Prospects in the New Year

As the editor of SurvivalBlog, I regularly get those “timing” e-mails from readers, asking me for my prediction of when the U.S. Dollar will collapse. I can’t provide you a date, but you don’t need to be a past recipient of the Nobel Prize for Economics to see some crucial facts and draw some logical conclusions. Consider the following:

  • The Federal Reserve recently became the largest holder of U.S. Treasury debt, surpassing China and Japan. The neo-Weimar monetization that is dubbed “Quantitative Easing” is wildly inflationary.
  • The number of dollars in circulation is galloping, and that can only result in inflation.
  • The government’s annual outlay just to pay the interest on the National Debt is nearly half a trillion dollars. The charts show a decline since 2008, but that is illusory. The decrease in interest payment obligations is only because interest rates have been kept artificially low, and because the Federal Reserve is monetizing the debt. (With Quantitative Easing, the government is effectively buying its own debt, with magically created dollars.
  • The U.S. dollar is has lost 96% of its purchasing power since 1913. The gradual effects of continuing inflation are only noticed by a few. But the Generally Dumb Public (the other “GDP”) is oblivious to the fact that they have been robbed by currency debasement and inflation.
  • The Treasury Department conservatively estimates that the U.S. debt will be $19.6 trillion within four years. (Many private estimates are substantially higher.)
  • The total long term government obligations including Social Security and pensions are variously estimated at from $48 trillion to $65.5 trillion. That would exceed the gross domestic product of all of the nations on Earth.
  • Federal government indebtedness is approaching 100% of GDP. The only time that it was ever higher was in the 1940s and 1950s because of the huge debts piled up in fighting World War II, and in funding post-war rebuilding of Europe under the Marshall Plan.
  • The Federal Reserve banking cartel finally admitted that they lavished $3.3 trillion in new liquidity and in excess of $9 trillion in short term loans. But in doing so, they downplayed the fact that a good portion of those trillions was used bailing out soured or failed mortgage-backed securities (MBS) derivatives contracts.

In essence, the gig is up. Starting in 2011 or 2012, I expect foreign creditors to demand substantially higher yields to justify their continuing to buy U.S. Treasury paper. Once that happens, prevailing interest rates will jump, and that will stifle economic growth, resulting in stagflation. Interest rates jumping to double digits could result in interest payments on the National Debt becoming the largest single annual outlay for the government– even bigger than even that for the Department of Defense. Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar will see a sharp degradation as its status as the world’s reserve currency. A death spiral for the U.S. Dollar would then ensue.

It is difficult to predict exactly how the end game for the Dollar will play out, and the timing thereof. It is especially hard to predict the timing of a currency collapse because the key triggers are always subtle psychological tipping points. But once enough foreign creditors give up hope for the Dollar, there will be a wholesale rout.

Some Specific Recommendations:

  • Watch the US Dollar Index (USDI) closely. A drop below 72 would be a very bad thing.
  • Watch for jumps in interest rates.
  • Look for announcements of either failed Treasury auctions, or “mystery buyers” that save the day for auctions. The latter will indicate more monetization.
  • Watch commodities prices. (In the midst of a global recession, commodity prices should be weak. But they aren’t. This indicates that they are being used as tangible safe havens in times of currency and credit turmoil.)
  • Monitor international news on the global credit and currency markets.
  • You can largely ignore stock market indices, since stocks are manipulated. As a last resort, the government may covertly buy large blocks of stock, or overtly nationalize all IRAs and 401(k)s.
  • Get out of the stock market, stock market funds, hedge funds, and municipal bonds,
  • Plan ahead for mass inflation. Protect yourself from further declines in the U.S. Dollar by diversifying into tangibles. Common caliber ammunition should be at the top of your list.
  • Expect another 20%+ drop in residential real estate. Once a double dip in the economy is confirmed, commercial real estate is likely to also collapse.
  • Count on higher taxes (at all levels) and endless bailout schemes.
  • Don’t count on getting much from your pension fund, whether it is public or private. (And even if it does pay in full, it will be in grossly inflated dollars.)
  • Expect continuing bank failures and perhaps some bank runs. Monitor the safety of your own banks.
  • Complete your food storage, self defense, home medical supply, gardening, canning, alternative energy, and Alpha Strategy purchasing. Train with what you have.
  • Round out your bookshelf with key references that you will need to be self-sufficient.
  • Team up with like-minded families. Establish a well-stocked rural retreat with good soil and plentiful water that is well-removed from major population centers. Move there, get your garden in, and plant fruit and nut trees, ASAP!
  • Get in shape and lose your addictions. The physical demands of surviving the unfolding multi-decade depression will be tremendous.
  • Get right with God and pray hard. Darker days are drawing near.

Letter Re: Better Than Sterno

Dear JWR:
I have used Sterno alcohol gel fuel when camping or hunting for years. About a dozen years back I discovered a better product than Sterno for about one tenth the cost. My local Sam’s Club sells a hand sanitizer under their Maker’s Mark label. A two liter jug of this with a hand pump sells for as low as $5.50 when it is on sale. It has a built in hand pump and I always have one in the shop. I started using this as a substitute for Sterno when I was packing for a fishing trip and discovered I was out of Sterno. I remembered reading the label on the hand sanitizer and it said it was 70% Ethyl Alcohol so I tested it and it definitely burned hot. I know it is a hotter fire than Sterno. (A friend has an Infrared thermometer and we did comparison tests with Sterno versus the hand sanitizer and the sanitizer burned a lot hotter) and it has a pleasant smell.

Since my tests, I’ve started filling empty Sterno cans with this and it works great. My only problem with it is that the flame is almost invisible. Do any SurvivalBlog readers have an idea of some thing that could be mixed in with the hand sanitizer that would make the flame more visible? When I am the only one in the area when I am using this I am not worried. However, I would hate to see someone accidentally get burned.

JWR Replies: For use as fuel, it is best to use un-scented hand sanitizer.
There are chemical salts that add colors to flame, but I’d be concerned that they might be toxic or induce rust on exposed metal, even in small concentrations. Some chlorides might be safe, but you should avoid using any chlorates, nitrates, and permanganates. (I’ve read that those are inherently dangerous.) Reader L.P. suggested simply adding a little kerosene to color the flame yellow. She notes: “Ethanol and kerosene mix easily. It will burn even hotter with a little kerosene added.”

Economics and Investing:

C.T.L. sent this: Bailed-Out Banks Slip Toward Failure.

From The Daily Bell: Brownian Schism–Ellen Brown Restoring Credit with a Publicly-owned Bank: The Model of the Bank of North Dakota. The article begins: “Neither states in the U.S. nor those in the eurozone can print their own money, but they can own banks, which can create bank credit on their books just as all banks do.”

El Jefe Jeff E. suggested this Wall Street Journal report: The Price of Silver is Soaring.

Items from The Economatrix:

Silver Will Be Worth More Than Gold  

If You Haven’t Bought Silver Yet, Read This  

Energy, Agriculture, Gold And Silver Bullion–Protectors From The Coming Crisis  

Baby Boomers Retirements In Jeopardy

Odds ‘n Sods:

At least a dozen readers sent this: Ashton Kutcher Predicts Worthless Currency And Mass Panic, Recommends Getting As Buff As Possible.

   o o o

News from Lincoln, Nebraska: Twenty police respond to man playing with crossbow in his backyard, seize house. Here is the relevant statute from the Lincoln, Nebraska web site: “9.36.050 Discharge of Weapons and Other Instruments Unlawful.” JWR’s Advice: I recommend avoiding these ludicrous jurisdictional entanglements by locating your family well outside of city limits!

   o o o

I was saddened to hear that Aaron S. Zelman died on December 21st. He was 64 years old. His funeral service was held Christmas Eve in Mequon, Wisconsin. Aaron was the executive director of the JPFO, an organization that I’ve supported for many years. Aaron was a strong defender of our right to keep and bear arms. My condolences to his wife Nancy and to his sons Jeremy and Erik. His obituary stated that memorials to JPFO, P.O. Box 270143, Hartford, Wisconsin 53027 or Beth El Ner Tamid Synagogue are appreciated. Rest in Peace, Aaron.

   o o o

Several readers sent this: 14 Of The Most Ridiculous Things That Americans Are Being Arrested For

   o o o

Yishai flagged this: Blizzard Used as Pretext to Nix Second Amendment in North Carolina. Oh, and to counter such abuses, see: How to Record the Cops.

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“It is not these well-fed long-haired men that I fear, but the pale and the hungry-looking.” – Julius Caesar, as quoted in Plutarch’s Lives

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 32 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 250 round case of 12 Gauge Hornady TAP FPD 2-3/4″ OO buckshot ammo, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $240 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $400, B.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials, and C.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.) , and B.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value.

Round 32 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

My First Year Raising Broiler Chickens, by R.W.L.

I’m writing to share stories and lessons from my first year raising chickens for meat for my family and for sale. Knowing the tricks to successfully raising your own meat could really be a game-changer post TEOTWAWKI, so I want to spread this wealth of information I’ve gleaned in hopes that others may benefit.   I followed the model popularized by Joel Salatin where the chickens are put into mobile pens that move along the ground to a new, fresh piece of pasture each day.  Receiving day old chicks in the mail from the hatchery and watching them grow is a real treat.  This will not be a comprehensive guide, however, because there are plenty of other resources out there that accomplish that better than I can.  Several topics of interest have been selected to the share stories and details on how it worked.    

Breeds
I tried two different breeds in this system: the Cornish Cross and the Freedom Ranger.  The Cornish Cross is the bird that is raised by the billions in confinement by the very biggest producers in the United States.  It has been bred for its fast gains, reaching harvest weight at only eight weeks of age.  Those birds are quite content to just hang out by the feed trough and eat non-stop.  Dressed out at 5.5 pounds, the bird looks much like a whole bagged fryer you might find at the supermarket.  The only difference was that the fat was a darker color and therefore the taste was much better.  The Freedom Ranger is an older style breed (think heritage or heirloom).  The Freedom Ranger was much more active, scratching and foraging for bugs and eating grass.  The benefits of the Freedom Ranger were evident very early as they began jumping and trying to fly at three weeks of age.  The Freedom Rangers take a little longer to reach maturity, at ten weeks.  These birds were smaller in the end and it showed after processing.  Mortality is explained in detail below, but in reference to breeds, we lost 6 Cornish Crosses to every Freedom Ranger lost which is a testament to the Freedom Ranger’s heartiness and survivability.  The 4.5 pound average bird’s fat was darker yellow and more abundant than the Cornish.  It was hard to taste the difference, but decided that we only want to raise Freedom Rangers in the future. 

Sickness and Mortality
You are going to have losses.  It has been said that 5-8% is an acceptable mortality rate.  Mine was much higher, more like (embarrassingly) 14%.  There are two primary reasons and all have to do with feed and water: cleanliness and availability.  You have to be a stickler about keeping the waterers clean as feed and dirt can build up.  When this happens, especially in the brooder phase, the chicks will begin to get diarrhea.  I read that diarrhea in chicks can be treated with raw milk from your local dairy.  I was amazed at how well that worked.  In fact, when I needed to treat a batch with raw milk, I just treated all batches whether or not they had diarrhea.  The health benefits of having raw milk fed to the chickens (and all animals and humans as well) are well documented.  I won’t go any further, because the Weston Price Foundation has done so well at explaining at their web site, Real Milk.  Thanks to this treatment, I never lost a chick in the brooder. 

There was an occasion where we had a really hot spell while I was traveling.  My substitute caretaker let the water run out accidentally and several birds died in one day.  Chickens have very small bodies and therefore small reserves.  They cannot go for any length of time without food or water.  I should add that most of the death loss I experienced were Cornish Cross.  I only lost two or three Freedom Rangers. 

And then there was the hawk.  I lost one chicken to a hawk and it scared me half to death because I walked right up on him in the act.  He was on the other side of the pen as I approached, so we didn’t see or hear each other and both of us were startled.  He got one chicken and pulled it part way under the pen.  The ten foot long bottom piece had bridged right over a small gulley which must have been right where the chicken was sitting.  It was along the roofed and sided section as well, so the chicken couldn’t see as the hawk stood next to the cage.  Lesson learned: use small pieces of wood and wedge them under the sides of the pen so that there are no ways in or out of that pen.  A few days later the hawk returned.  I was in the house but was alerted because the smaller birds (swallows, bluebirds, red wing black birds, etc.) were making quite a ruckus.  I pair of shotgun blasts into the air sent the message to the hawk clearly (I was intentionally not aiming at him, just wanted to scare him off).  I didn’t see him back for another month.  Another shot over the bow served as his reminder to scram. 

Financial
Total Variable Costs were as follows:
$323.25  Chicks Delivered
$928.17  Feed
$32.98 Bedding (wood shavings)
$195.00  Processing

Starting with 150 (75 Cornish and 75 Freedom Rangers) birds, but only ending up with around 130 to eat and sell, this makes the cost per (5 pound average) bird $2.28 per pound.  Consider that you can find fryers on sale in the grocery store (of poor quality, suspect cleanliness and marginal nourishment) for $0.95 then it seems like it might not make financial sense.  However, we were able to sell most of the birds for $4.00 per pound and nobody balked at the price because they were educated about the quality of food they were getting.  The ones we didn’t sell were eaten, or course.  I should clarify, though:  We intentionally didn’t sell all of the birds, because we wanted to eat a bunch of them.  The birds we sold paid for the rest, as well as covering the structural costs too.  Cost of chicks can vary a lot too.  I wanted to work in small batches because it was all so new to me, receiving 25 birds a week for 6 weeks.  If you were to do one large batch, you get better rates from the hatchery as well as some shipping savings. 

Total Fixed Costs were as follows:
$200 per field pen (this is an approximation, and is conservatively set a little high – you could do better than this)
$120 for waterers and parts (Plasson Bell waterers purchased on eBay)
$40 plywood to make brooder

It should be noted that you could lower feed costs if you opt for lesser quality feed.  I only used the best Fertrell Poultry Nutri Balancer minerals, etc. but there are ways to do this less expensively.  In fact, Harvey Ussery explains it very well on his web site The Modern Homestead.  He stopped using mineral supplements and is growing most or all of the food his chickens eat now.  I plan to research this further.  He does this with his laying hens, but I wonder what you could do to increase the protein level to the point where you could finish broilers on a home grown ration.  There are lots of ideas, like feeding earthworms from your vermi-composting operation to the maggots-from-a-bucket-of-roadkill idea. 

Another concept I like a lot from Harvey’s web site is breeding your own poultry.  There’s no better brooder than mama.  As long as you have hearty old world breeds which are dual purpose excelling in both egg and meat production you can raise your own chickens indefinitely.  Again, this is referring to laying hens, but mother nature ensures that the male/female is close to 50/50.  The females will become layer replacements and the males will be broilers for the dinner table.  You don’t need a large flock at all to do this on your own. 

Processing
Now the real fun can begin.  Yes, processing is bloody and it is gross.  I was secretly a little worried that I was going to pass out, but it’s really not all that bad.  We paid a neighbor who had all of the equipment and we all helped out to learn the process.  Several hours elapsed before 6 of us had 50 birds done and cooling in an ice water bath.  It was because we were beginners and learning.  With the proper equipment and a well trained crew, its nothing to churn through 100 birds per hour.  I’ve only read that and not seen it. 

This winter I’m busy building a Whizbang Plucker in the garage.  I got the book on Amazon and then discovered that the author, Herrick Kimball, has a web site called The Deliberate Agrarian with tons of helpful material.  There are several other great books on how to build your own homestead equipment that Herrick has written and I have purchased.  The chicken plucker will end up costing me less than half of what a commercially built model would be, and it’s a great project for the winter. 

Conclusion
This summer was a ton of fun and my wife and I plan on doing it again.  We have also decided recently that we should put together a blog to share our experiences with the world.  I will go into further detail on all of these topics and hope it encourages more discussion and sharing of ideas.  Our blog is called His And Hers Homesteading.  Bear with us, as we’re new and figuring it all out. 

Resources
Pastured Poultry Profits by Joel Salatin – this is where you start.  It’s a classic and a must read for anyone wanting to raise their own chickens.  Also read this book to better understand my above comment about being wary of chicken from the grocery store. 
Raising Poultry on Pasture: Ten Years of Success by Jody Padgham – this is a compilation of stories from their newsletters and is incredibly helpful in answering questions and explaining how to do things. The ideas discussed here are very practical and helped me a lot with troubleshooting. 
Freedom Ranger Hatchery – this is where you can buy the Freedom Rangers I used and loved so much.