Thanks to a little help from my freinds....and some questions: (Misc)

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My daughter and I would like to thank all of you who have responded with ideas and books(among other items!!). You have made our lives brighter and more hopeful for the future.

Now that we have a new home we can continue our journey towards self-sufficency. But I have some questions that you may be able to help with: 1. Do pygmy goats produce milk for milking? I have raised them before but never tried to milk them. I am thinking of them or a mini cow, which is better?

2. Does anyone have an outdoor wood furnace? Do they work good? What are the down falls with them?

3. Does anyone have a solar/generator electric system set-up? Is it good or bad? Which generators are best?

Thanks, Sue and Brenda

-- Sue (rainbowacres1@yahoo.com), September 09, 2001

Answers

How about a regular size goat? I think pygmies are difficult to milk. A dairy goat will usually give around a gallon of milk or more per day. There are also kinder goats and nigerian dwarfs that are inbetween pygmies and dairy goats and you would be able to milk them.

-- Skip in Western WA (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), September 09, 2001.

About the outside wood furnace One of my uncles has one and it works great. Down falls are you have to go out side to feed it. If the power goes out then the fans wont work. Plus's You only have to feed it 2 times a day and it will take larger pieces of wood. Cheaper than gas. dale

-- dale (dgarr@fidnet.com), September 09, 2001.

I have a solar system backed up with a gasoline generator. No grid power. Good-bad-best are very ambiguous terms. What do you want to know about solar? What do you mean by "best" generator. Most powerful, quietest, longest lasting, most fuel efficient, least inexpensive, etc. Those things are for the most part mutually exclusive.

Tell us more

-- Jim (catchthesun@yahoo.com), September 11, 2001.


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