#homesteading

The economics of homesteading for our family (7people living ar home right now):

Jersey milk cow and beef calf cost $1000, eats $700/yr in feed, plus $450 in hay. Fence was $1000. First year cost $3150. Milk cow on average has produced 4 gallons milk per day, we sell half @ $7/gallon, $5100 income. Plus we keep half the milk, making yogurt, butter, sour cream, and cheese. And we get about 240# grassfed beef from the calf plus dog food and tallow.

Seeds for garden $100/yr. not selling any at the moment, consuming about 75%.

15 egg chickens were free, cost annually $4000 in feed, produce roughly 3000 eggs. We consume all of these.

Rabbits are fed with leftover cow hay and garden greens, produce roughly 70 kits, 2# meat each.

Milking the cow takes 2 hours per day

Caring for other livestock and gardens take 15 minutes/ day on average.

Butchering takes about 30 hours /year.

Total out of pocket cost to us: $2100.

We still buy some things at the grocery store that we can't grow or raise here, or produce during the winter.