As the summer season unfolds on your homestead, it’s easy to feel like there’s an abundance of tasks demanding attention. But amidst the chaos, lies a beauty and freshness that makes all the hard work worthwhile. The arrival of newborn lambs, piglets, and chicks brings a sense of joy and wonder to the homestead, reminding you why you started this journey in the first place.
To help you stay on track and make the most of this wonderful time, here’s a comprehensive list of summer chores to keep your focus where it belongs:
Cleaning Animal Areas
While animal care is an ongoing responsibility, it’s crucial to prioritize cleanliness during the summer months when populations tend to surge. Not only does this ensure a healthy environment for your animals, but it also reduces the risk of illness among newborns, which are inherently more vulnerable to contamination. For example, goat owners should strive to maintain a spotless barn by cleaning their sleeping quarters daily and performing a deeper clean once a week.
A litter box training tip can be particularly helpful in streamlining this process. Similarly, chickens and rabbits require consistent daily maintenance of their nesting boxes, as well as a weekly deep clean using natural disinfectants like vinegar.
Check the Animals for Health Problems
As summer approaches, a range of health issues tend to emerge. For me, flystrike and mites are two pressing concerns during the warmest months. Mites, in particular, pose a significant threat as they infest chicken coops, causing distress and compromising their well-being. Similarly, chicken lice warrant close attention to prevent infestations. Flystrike, while primarily affecting rabbits, can also occur in other animals.
To combat this issue, it’s essential to maintain immaculate living conditions for your pets, eliminating any attractants that might draw flies. Additionally, regular inspections are crucial to identify any maggots embedded in the skin and ensure areas remain dry to prevent moisture from attracting more flies.
Ultimately, summer health management boils down to maintaining a clean environment, minimizing waste and moisture, and conducting regular checks on your animals to swiftly address any potential issues should they arise.
Give Lots of Water and Cooling Devices to Your Animals
One crucial aspect of rabbit care involves ensuring a clean water source every day, just like with other pets. However, rabbits are unique in that they’re susceptible to heat stroke due to their warm-blooded nature and thick fur coat. In the wild, they’d retreat to underground burrows to escape the heat, so it’s essential to provide them with a way to cool down.
To achieve this, we not only keep our rabbits shaded during warmer months but also take the extra step of freezing water bottles and placing them in their living quarters. This allows them to snuggle up and benefit from the cooling effect. It’s crucial to monitor the frozen water bottles and replace them frequently, as this can literally be a matter of life or death for your pets.
Treat Animals and Their Homes for Pests
When discussing summertime, it’s undeniable that pests are an inevitable reality. To combat these unwanted visitors, I prioritize planting a variety of herbs and plants known to deter them. Additionally, I’ve incorporated Diatomaceous Earth into my routine, sprinkling it liberally throughout our chicken coop and nesting boxes.
The reason for this is twofold: when my chickens take a dust bath, they not only get themselves clean but also inadvertently apply DE to their coats, effectively keeping mites at bay in every possible way.
Worm Your Animals
Summer arrives and so does the necessity of worming our animals. For me, it’s an annual ritual where I rely on Diatomaceous Earth (DE) to get the job done efficiently. As I start spotting excessive poop around my chicken coops, I know it’s time to give them a good worming session. When that happens, I make sure to take care of all our animals at once by sprinkling DE over their food. It’s a quick and easy process that ensures everyone gets the necessary treatment.
I’m a big fan of using DE as it’s an inexpensive and natural way to handle worms on my homestead. You can find it at most agricultural stores or purchase it online. All you need to do is sprinkle a small amount over your chickens’ food, and they’ll happily consume it. I also add it to my goats’ hay to ensure they get the benefits. DE comes in two forms: food grade, which is safe for human consumption, and non-food grade, intended for animal use.
Ultimately, you can choose which one to feed your animals based on what makes you feel most comfortable. In my case, I prefer using food grade DE as it’s the easiest for me to find consistently.
Hatching Chicks
As the warmer months arrive, it’s the perfect time to expand your poultry family. With broody chickens and ducks setting their eggs, you can capitalize on this natural phenomenon by collecting any fertilized eggs found around your homestead and placing them in a designated brooder box. From there, you can nurture these young ones all the way through, providing a reliable source of meat for winter or even generating a supplemental income by raising them for sale.
Weeding the Garden
The summer months are typically marked by a significant amount of time devoted to gardening, as this essential food source requires attention. Throughout the summer, I dedicate myself to watering, inspecting for pests, and collecting ripened produce from my garden. Weeding is another crucial task that demands considerable effort, in addition to regular harvesting and fertilizing activities.
Weeding the Flower Beds
As I cherish the warmth of summer, our property transforms into a breathtaking oasis. The vibrant blooms and lush foliage create an inviting atmosphere that truly feels like home. However, to maintain this picturesque landscape, regular maintenance is essential. A significant portion of this effort involves dedicating time to weeding flower beds and garden rows. To optimize efficiency, I adopt a rotating approach, tackling one area one day before moving on to another.
This consistent routine ensures that every bed and row receives the attention it needs, preventing weeds from overtaking vegetation.
Canning and Preserving Food
As I venture outside each morning, my tasks unfold like a symphony. Tending to the animals, harvesting fresh produce, and waging war against pesky weeds are all part of the daily routine. But when the scorching sun becomes too intense, I retreat indoors to preserve the bounty of our labor. This meticulous process is crucial, as it directly impacts my family’s well-being – they rely heavily on the fruits of our efforts.
As a result, we put in a tremendous amount of effort to grow and preserve a surplus of food. It’s an arduous task, yet the rewards are immeasurable. I firmly believe that everyone should attempt to cultivate some form of garden and safeguard their harvest. The flavor and nutritional value are unmatched – it’s a treasure worth striving for.
Keep the Lawn Manicured
Maintaining a well-manicured front yard is a family affair in my household. My oldest son has taken on the responsibility of keeping our larger lawn tidy during the warmer months. It’s essential to ensure that someone stays on top of this task, as an overgrown yard can be overwhelming and detract from the overall appeal of our home. As someone who values spending time outdoors, I find it challenging to fully appreciate nature when the front yard is looking unkempt.
That’s why I believe it’s crucial to prioritize regular lawn maintenance, including mowing and weed eating. This not only enhances the visual appeal of our homestead but also creates a welcoming atmosphere that encourages us to spend more time outside.
Keep the House Cool
As summer approaches, many of us dread receiving astronomical electric bills. To combat this, I used to take drastic measures by sealing my house like a tomb. I’d cover doors and windows with towels and blankets to keep the temperature cool. However, this solution was far from ideal, as it left my home looking uninviting. It wasn’t until I invested in blackout curtains that I found the perfect balance between aesthetics and energy efficiency.
These curtains have been a game-changer for our home, allowing us to maintain a neat appearance while effectively blocking out the sun’s heat.
Raising Grow Outs
While raising rabbits for meat, it’s essential to consider their environment and growth. Although they may seem small, they do produce a substantial amount of meat throughout the year. To ensure their survival, we focus on utilizing warmer months for most litters. However, this means dealing with tiny bunnies that require a specific setup for them to grow. A grow-out pen is crucial, which can be as simple as a colony set-up created from pallets or reclaimed wood.
We’ve used this method in the past, building two hutches with larger doors facing opposite each other, allowing easy access for cleaning and feeding. Each hutch had bunny holes with open doors leading to a shared ramp, ultimately connecting to a fenced-off yard built using pallets and reclaimed wood. This setup was not only affordable but also efficient. However, we’ve since moved away from the colony set-up due to the difficulties in keeping the yard clean, which can compromise animal health.
In an effort to simplify things, this year we’re exploring the tractor method, building a bunny-friendly enclosure similar to a chicken tractor. This design allows the bunnies to move around freely, reducing mess and increasing their overall well-being.
Milking Duties
In our dairy operation, we’ve adopted a year-round milking schedule, thanks to our trusty goats providing for our needs. While many think that milking ceases with the warmer months, it’s crucial to maintain a consistent routine and employ proper techniques on the milking stand. Storage methods also require attention to detail to ensure the milk remains fresh and usable. If you’re struggling to find creative ways to utilize your goat’s bounty, I recommend exploring this article for inspiration.
Start Seeds for Fall Garden
While many assume I’m knee-deep in gardening duties this summer, planning for the fall harvest is crucial to getting ahead of the curve. As a responsible gardener, I know that sowing seeds for a fall garden during the summer months ensures a bountiful yield come autumn. It’s all about staying one step ahead, as this proactive approach can ultimately save you a significant amount of money in the long run.
Building Projects
With the sun shining brighter and days stretching longer, summertime is an ideal season to tackle those lingering building projects. The morning hours provide a perfect window for tackling the toughest tasks before the heat becomes overwhelming. For those looking to create a backyard oasis, the extra daylight only adds to the appeal of constructing a swimming pond.
If you’ve been putting off larger projects like building a barn, chicken coop, or fence, the summer months present an opportune moment to get them completed.
Storing Wood for the Winter
My husband’s passion for wood gathering knows no bounds! As self-proclaimed ‘wood king’, he takes pride in ensuring we’re always stocked up on firewood before winter sets in. His mantra is simple: it’s never too early to start collecting, especially since seasoned firewood is the key to a cozy winter. Whether it’s a tree trimming job or a bulk order from a local sawmill, my husband is always ready to roll out his trusty chainsaw and get to work.
By starting early, we can avoid the last-minute scramble for supplies and enjoy a warm and toasty home all year round.
Raise Fodder and Other Food for the Animals
Our small greenhouse is a vital component in our farm’s operation. Throughout the year, we maintain a consistent temperature to cultivate fodder, which serves as a cost-effective alternative to purchasing animal feed. However, during the warmer months, we significantly increase production to meet our animals’ needs and supplement their diet with fresh vegetables. We also prioritize cultivating sunflowers for drying purposes, ensuring a steady supply of nutritious feed for the winter months.
Moreover, we make the most of our weeds by utilizing them as natural feed for our animals. By doing so, we’re able to allocate our resources towards stockpiling food for the winter, rather than relying on costly purchases during the warmer seasons. Ultimately, our goal is to produce as much of our animals’ food as possible during the warmer months, which not only provides a nutritional boost but also helps us build a financial safety net for any unforeseen feed shortages during the winter.
Trade for Winter Supplies
Our homesteading journey hasn’t yet involved large-scale hay production due to our smaller plot of land. To maintain order, every aspect must be meticulously organized; otherwise, chaos ensues. With my plate already full, I’ve been unable to identify a suitable spot for us to cultivate our own hay. For now, we’re forced to bargain hunt or barter for the winter months’ hay supply. In fact, last year’s purchase of hay at $1 per bale secured our stockpile for over five years.
However, we’ve also leveraged trade opportunities to acquire essential materials. This mindset encourages us to seek out individuals with excess resources and negotiate swaps. Summer is an ideal time for trading, as it often brings an abundance of produce and livestock. The sense of fulfillment derived from this approach makes all the hard work worthwhile.
