I could try getting them into classes, I’ve seen one that looks pretty safe on craigslist and could Possibly look on Facebook. But would those be reliable or no?
I have had almost every animal in my home dumped on me to care for. It takes a lot of trial and error to perfect their schedules. For animals that do not behave, my go-to is a spray bottle. I now have a decent 20+ foot range head shot for my roosters when they act up. I use the same thing on the three new kittens and the blind dog (she sometimes bites at the other animals, so she gets a full-on face shot of cold water. Nothing harmful, just a little unexpected wetness). I do not know what your schedule looks like, but I can lay out mine: I wake every morning 15 minutes before sunrise, so that I can get myself prepped for the day and prepare my chickens' food and water, and quickly rake their run and wipe out their "footbath". If I really need to shower, I wake up an hour earlier than that so that it is done and I do not need to worry about doing it later. After the chickens are cared for, I go in and care for the kittens (they are the biggest nuisance, so I like to get them taken care of so as they do not bother me or my other animals while I prepare their food). I feed and water the dog and cats, and let the dog out to potty. While she is outside, I sweep and vacuum. I let her in and let out the adult cats. Then I turn on the hermit crabs' light and make sure their sponges are still moist (it is the only thing I do for them in the morning). Then I do the dishes, wash down the kitchen, take out the trash, and empty the recycling. While doing this, I make plans for the rest of the day. Does the lawn need to be mowed, etc.? If anything needs to be done outside, I do it immediately after the animals are cared for. All in all, I am done with absolutely everything by 10:30-11:00am, and that is if I need to mow. Otherwise, I am done with all of those chores by 8:00am. I tend to do whatever needs to be done throughout the day, including prepping for that night's dinner, dusting, and whatever else that crosses my mind (items on my to-do list changes daily/seasonally, so just work those items in). At night, I let the chickens in, secure their area, feed/water the hermit crabs and turn out their light, make sure that the dog and cats all have food and water for the night, and make dinner (this part almost always happens sooner, depending on what is being made). After everything is done, I have a few hours before bed. I like to relax and do my nails once a week, or write, or read, or draw, or do whatever else I find relaxing in the final hour before conk out time (it helps you drift off more easily and helps keep you asleep at night). If your load is overwhelming you, you may still be able to keep all of your animals without it really infringing on your daily schedule too much. I got into the rhythm of doing things quick enough where I have the whole day most days to do anything I want by starting off with lists. Write down exactly what needs to be done. Your animals all need to be let out and taken care of in the morning, so work through your list mentally to see how you can do each chore organically and without needing to constantly backtrack to complete the list. Which animal is farthest from your home? Could you take care of them first? Are you crunched for time? Is there a way to eliminate some unnecessary steps in caring for them (I do not know how you do things, or what ducks and goats require, so I am merely asking if you do things that are not necessary to do first thing in the morning). Can some things be done after your animals are locked away for the night? Sometimes, if I know that I am going to be in a hurry in the morning, I refill water buckets and do some cleaning at night before I relax.
Thank you so much for your reply, I tend to care for the goats usually by 8-2 depending on my classes since usually I have a few minute break time before the other which it takes me 1-2 hours to take care of them and the ducks take 1 hour usually. All depends, but I do make sure everyone is let out no matter whatI have had almost every animal in my home dumped on me to care for. It takes a lot of trial and error to perfect their schedules. For animals that do not behave, my go-to is a spray bottle. I now have a decent 20+ foot range head shot for my roosters when they act up. I use the same thing on the three new kittens and the blind dog (she sometimes bites at the other animals, so she gets a full-on face shot of cold water. Nothing harmful, just a little unexpected wetness). I do not know what your schedule looks like, but I can lay out mine: I wake every morning 15 minutes before sunrise, so that I can get myself prepped for the day and prepare my chickens' food and water, and quickly rake their run and wipe out their "footbath". If I really need to shower, I wake up an hour earlier than that so that it is done and I do not need to worry about doing it later. After the chickens are cared for, I go in and care for the kittens (they are the biggest nuisance, so I like to get them taken care of so as they do not bother me or my other animals while I prepare their food). I feed and water the dog and cats, and let the dog out to potty. While she is outside, I sweep and vacuum. I let her in and let out the adult cats. Then I turn on the hermit crabs' light and make sure their sponges are still moist (it is the only thing I do for them in the morning). Then I do the dishes, wash down the kitchen, take out the trash, and empty the recycling. While doing this, I make plans for the rest of the day. Does the lawn need to be mowed, etc.? If anything needs to be done outside, I do it immediately after the animals are cared for. All in all, I am done with absolutely everything by 10:30-11:00am, and that is if I need to mow. Otherwise, I am done with all of those chores by 8:00am. I tend to do whatever needs to be done throughout the day, including prepping for that night's dinner, dusting, and whatever else that crosses my mind (items on my to-do list changes daily/seasonally, so just work those items in). At night, I let the chickens in, secure their area, feed/water the hermit crabs and turn out their light, make sure that the dog and cats all have food and water for the night, and make dinner (this part almost always happens sooner, depending on what is being made). After everything is done, I have a few hours before bed. I like to relax and do my nails once a week, or write, or read, or draw, or do whatever else I find relaxing in the final hour before conk out time (it helps you drift off more easily and helps keep you asleep at night). If your load is overwhelming you, you may still be able to keep all of your animals without it really infringing on your daily schedule too much. I got into the rhythm of doing things quick enough where I have the whole day most days to do anything I want by starting off with lists. Write down exactly what needs to be done. Your animals all need to be let out and taken care of in the morning, so work through your list mentally to see how you can do each chore organically and without needing to constantly backtrack to complete the list. Which animal is farthest from your home? Could you take care of them first? Are you crunched for time? Is there a way to eliminate some unnecessary steps in caring for them (I do not know how you do things, or what ducks and goats require, so I am merely asking if you do things that are not necessary to do first thing in the morning). Can some things be done after your animals are locked away for the night? Sometimes, if I know that I am going to be in a hurry in the morning, I refill water buckets and do some cleaning at night before I relax.
There really is no cut and paste answer here. For some, cutting down on how many animals you have is all you can do. Others, like myself, work with the unexpected load and find ways to adjust our own schedules. No one here can tell you what is right for you. Carry on and stay strong, friend.
