Strategies for reducing barn time

[NatJ]

Hi, thanks everyone for your input. I am trying new changes each day to improve efficiency. So far the most impactful have been buying a hose that reaches from the pond to the barn, and the orchary, so water can be pumped up to the barn. I think this saved me two hours total yesterday instead of hauling and filling 5 gallon jugs at the pond. Also I rehomed a goat and a dog, who were always getting into trouble and sidelining me. Also ordered supplies to replace all the water bottles with gravity fed nipples.

That's great news!

...a hose that reaches from the pond to the barn, and the orchary, so water can be pumped up to the barn. I think this saved me two hours total yesterday instead of hauling and filling 5 gallon jugs at the pond.

That is an impressive time savings right there. Definitely a good choice!

 

[Penpal]

I don't understand why you cook for the dogs. Raw is superior to cooked. I feed predator raw. Outside, I hand a chicken leg to one dog, it runs off. Hand another chicken leg to the second dog, it runs off. No fighting and no cooking. The raw meat naturally has vitamin C in it, which they need even though they make their own. The bones keep their teeth clean. If you feed poultry backs/hips they get organ meat, unless you clean out the cavity, which you shouldn't. Really, if you are going to cook the dog food you might as well feed kibble.

Kudus on the water hose. You can also get a little gadget that will split the hose so you can bring the hose from the pond, then split the water in two directions. Or, split it at the faucet.

 

[User635240]

Frankly I wasn't sure what specific tasks were talking up all the time, until experimenting with a longer hose to refill the duck kiddie pool.

That's great news!


That is an impressive time savings right there. Definitely a good choice!

 

[McChooky]

Hi, I'm finding that taking care of my livestock is taking over my day. It takes me 3-4 hours in the morning and another 2-3 hours in the evening. I know one solution is to get rid of some or all of the livestock. The chores include: refilling water bottles and buckets, distributing grain, milking the goats, cooking for and feeding the dogs, watching them eat so they don't fight, veterinary care for injuries if needed, cleaning out litter boxes, collecting eggs, bottle feeding baby goats, taking out trash/poop/dead mice, turning solar power on and off, shoveling out manure, distributing hay flakes to goats. (I've bought and made feeders that hold entire squares but the goats destroy them each time.) I also take breaks.

What are methods or machines you've used to cut down on barn chores time?

Run water lines to all livestock and dogs use add drip waterers for chickens.I always provide water bowls for my chickens but drip waterers provide 'clean' water 24/7 whereas the bowls get filthy between changes

 

[McChooky]

I don't understand why you cook for the dogs. Raw is superior to cooked. I feed predator raw. Outside, I hand a chicken leg to one dog, it runs off. Hand another chicken leg to the second dog, it runs off. No fighting and no cooking. The raw meat naturally has vitamin C in it, which they need even though they make their own. The bones keep their teeth clean. If you feed poultry backs/hips they get organ meat, unless you clean out the cavity, which you shouldn't. Really, if you are going to cook the dog food you might as well feed kibble.

Kudus on the water hose. You can also get a little gadget that will split the hose so you can bring the hose from the pond, then split the water in two directions. Or, split it at the faucet.

Love to know how you get your dogs to eat raw meat.I've tried to give mine raw meat but they won't eat it.They will eat raw eggs in a dish but not on top of their kibble .Their chicken is skinned, cooked in a pressure cooker and deboned

 

[User635240]

I will as much as possible, but I don't have running water yet. Just rainwater collection and a pond.

Run water lines to all livestock and dogs use add drip waterers for chickens.I always provide water bowls for my chickens but drip waterers provide 'clean' water 24/7 whereas the bowls get filthy between changes

 

[texsuze]

Some good advice here; chose what is feasible and applicable to your situation. Chores for me are often a moving target. Plans constantly get de-railed with "something"! One thing is to never walk from one end of the barn to the other empty-handed--there is always something you need to carry/move/relocate for now or a future task. I'm a real list person; I need lists as a reminder. Plus a real paper calendar hanging up in my barn has helped me keep up with the days, weeks, months ahead.

 

[User635240]

I don't understand why you cook for the dogs. Raw is superior to cooked. I feed predator raw. Outside, I hand a chicken leg to one dog, it runs off. Hand another chicken leg to the second dog, it runs off. No fighting and no cooking. The raw meat naturally has vitamin C in it, which they need even though they make their own. The bones keep their teeth clean. If you feed poultry backs/hips they get organ meat, unless you clean out the cavity, which you shouldn't. Really, if you are going to cook the dog food you might as well feed kibble.

Kudus on the water hose. You can also get a little gadget that will split the hose so you can bring the hose from the pond, then split the water in two directions. Or, split it at the faucet.

The dogs can only eat so many raw eggs before one gets diarrhea. And I always cook chicken for them because I don't want them to develop a taste for raw chickens...

 

[User635240]

Love to know how you get your dogs to eat raw meat.I've tried to give mine raw meat but they won't eat it.They will eat raw eggs in a dish but not on top of their kibble .Their chicken is skinned, cooked in a pressure cooker and deboned

I give them raw venison in season (fresh roadkill). One dog hesitated at first but I guess he was hungry. They also like to hunt baby cottontails in their run.

 

[Penpal]

One of my rescues rejected the raw. I cut slivers into the chicken wing (he was a papillon) and inserted pieces of kibble. When he pulled out the kibble he discovered that the dishes were edible. You can also slap the leg or whatever into a pan with butter and just let it sear a bit. Now, it is "cooked" chicken. They also like garlic granules/powder and powdered vitamin C.

You don't need to add vegetables or grains, just liver once a week and any other organ meat you can find.

We never had a problem with chicken killing, even though the chickens and dog free ranged.