Tag Archives: chores

It’s Hurricane Season!

Today is the first day of June and that means that today is the start of hurricane season.

The weather is at best unpredictable. But what we can do is try to think about ways to keep people and animals as safe as possible.

I like to walk around and look for any structures that look like they are weak and might not be able to withstand a steady 74-95 mph wind (category 1 hurricane based on the Saffir-Simpson Scale). The same goes for tree limbs, fence posts, and outdoor feeding equipment.

The next thing I make sure to have on hand are strong contractor garbage bags because if you need to make an emergency repair these can be used in lots of ways. I also have a roll of Gorilla tape as well.

Losing electricity is almost a given during a hurricane. I always make sure that all flashlights and spotlights have either fresh batteries or stay charged up. Something that comes in handy are these solar yard lights! You have to be sure they are charged before the main hurricane bands arrive…but they can provide light in a room at night when everything is so incredibly dark!

I also make sure to have plenty of feed on hand and that it can’t get wet. Blowing rain can make its way under doors and through cracks so be sure to check for possible leakage.

I am praying that we all stay safe during this time of year. And remember to check on your neighbors as well. A little extra hand while trying to get everything ready means a lot!

January 2024

Our first hard freeze of the year brings with it many outdoor chores.:

Fill the waterers, make sure there is plenty of hay-both round bales as well as square bales-wrap all pipes, wrap the well and turn on the heat lamps in the well house. Put the chickens in the barn. Put extra hay in the stall for the goats. Overcome my denial that it won’t be as bad as the weatherman says…!!!!

Preparing for the Arctic Blast-December 2022

There is no such thing as being over prepared for one of these things! The weather is….well what can I say….it’s the weather and it can knock your socks off if you aren’t ready!

Here’s the chore list:

Fill extra water containers and keep them inside where they can’t freeze.

Put out extra hay. Hay is the number one feed source for the cows. The old saying is…if you have to buy…buy hay!

I do feed extra range cubes….so they are loaded and ready to go!

Wrap pipes…

Turn off water to barns and drain lines.

Turn on heat lamps in pump house.

Open all covered resting areas for maximum protection from wind.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten something….!!!

And…????!!!!! It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Merry Christmas to all!

(And, yes….I’m secretly hoping for some snow!)

Chores during the Freeze

There are still a lot of chores that must done during these freezes. Ice chunks must be removed from waterers or they will freeze back solid when night comes.

Ice chunks

It is important to clean out any moist or wet feedstuff and replace it with fresh feed. Refill all waterers, inspect all animals for any health concerns, and replace any minerals that might have dissolved or blown away during the storm.

It will be spring before we know it…but in the meantime keep your eye on the clouds!

An Extra Hand on the Ranch!

This afternoon Bunny, one of the rescue goats, decided to try to climb aboard with me as I was feeding. The goats are excellent foragers on the Johnson grass that has started to invade the fields. But today he decided to try and hitch a ride with me and direct my efforts as I was throwing range cubes out for the cows. He is a very good manager! And a very lovable one at that!!!