Selfsufficientish.com

Gidday

Well after reading about the lenghts ewe jokers go to to get a bit of pee onto your gardens I thought I would share this with you.

Being a rough country Kiwi boy, I try to grow as much of my own food as I can. That also means meat and I kill my own sheep.

Now I am a tight old bugger too so don't like wasting anything, like I mean anything. So then I though what can I do to use the sheep's guts. Well, I reckoned, why not eat it.

Has that put ewe off yet?

Well if I dug it into the garden, I know it grown great silver beet, but it normally only goes in a very small patch so wanted a way to spead raw fresh sheep's guts.

This is how I do it. I put 2 boards on edge, about 18 inches apart and spread the guts as far as I can then cover it with rottin weeds, or nice wormy compost. I then plant straight into the top of that. My wife calls it my garden coffin which I suppose aint too far off.

I have found that carrots actually go best as by the time they reach down to the guts the worms have seen to it. The only trouble with carrots grown this way is they are just so juicy and crisp that they shatter when you ytry to cut them.

But of course ewe poor jokers up there caint kill your own sheep so I suppose it don't matter to you, unless you are actually a bit baughty Eh!

hmmm.... So you ARE a kiwi!!! That explains everythiing.

Welcome Rough Jack - I am way too slack at visiting the newcomers bit, and really should stick my head in there more often.

Well, I didn't know that they are not allowed to home slaughter on farms over there, Jack. Why's that then?

Your concept makes sense. I tend to go deep with them under fruit trees, but I think you would be right. They would no doubt make a much bigger contribution to quick crops closer to the surface. My only prob would be keeping it there. My dogs would be standing by, licking their chops and grinning their heads off, I reckon. The moment I walked away....

Have you ever tried preserving your skins/coats? I have had some lovely coats go through here, and I swear one of my goats kids are throwing back to a sheep somewhere in the lineage. Came from the NZ lot, I think. I would like to know how to do this and have done some googling, but still have not found myself real confident to tackle it. You have any clues?

Gidday

Yep Boots, we still can home kill, but only if you own the animal and it must be used within your own household. Like you aint sposed to sell it or even give it away for human consumption.

And as for putting the guts under fruit trees, you can only grow so many fruit trees then you run outa room. The only thing that does not break down very quickly is the fat.

I use very wormy well done compost and the bloody birdies give it Assholes so I know what you mean about dogs. I have to keep things well covered with bird netting and that is the only real draw back as I now keep the fat to make soap outa.

Now to your question about the skins. Firstly can I ask a question, I have also been asked to put something on here about skins from another member and my question is simply, in which forum would I put how to cure skins?

G'day

Try Livestock maybe?

Perhaps the Home Brew, Preserving and Crafts section? I think either of the two would be fine.