Does shift work interfere with your 'steading??

[steve-in-kville]

My wife is a home-maker, but I work a regular day job. I was given the oportunity to move from first shift to third. We work 4 days a week (Mon, Tues. & Thurs, Fri.) I know my sleeping and eating habits are gonna be out of wack until I adjust completely. Thankfully, this transistion will be taking place over the fall/winter when the growing season isn't too active.

Any forewarnings how this work schedule will work for a homesteader?

[kens]

I think once you get used to third you will love it and you will find out that you can do more on the farm on third than any other shift.This shift sounds like a dream come true I work second six days a week and I don't believe on working on Sundays so my farming has been curtaled alot for the last seven years.

[pancho]

I work a rotating shift. One week on third, one week on second, one week on first, and one week off. I like it better than anything I have ever worked. I have plenty of time to work at home during my off shift weeks. Gives me a chance to do things I had to take off work for before.

[Up North]

I'm just shiftless, LOL.

[Cascade Failure]

Night shifts rocks! All the daylight to play with and sleep is optional...

[woodsrunner]

That second shift used to get me. By the time I got anything started it was time to get cleaned up for work.

Third shift on the other hand is great. You can get tons of stuff done early in the morning. Just be careful about machines when you're tired.

[rambler]

Shift work intereferes with just anything.... 2nd seems to be the worst. Most here rotate, the 3 big indistries in town are on rotating for the most part.

If you are on a solid 3rd shift, your sleep will suffer some as you will come home & stay up too long doing stuff in the daylight, but shouldn't be too bad.

--->Paul

[HilltopDaisy]

I've been on 3rd shift for the last 5 months and I hate it. I can never seem to get enough sleep. I'm going back on 2nd shift in a couple weeks and I can hardly wait. I thought that buy working nights it would allow me more time to work around my place ~ instead it seemed that all I did was try to catch a few hours of sleep throughout the day, which was really futile as I could NOT sleep! I love working evenings. I get a good nights sleep, and can get up in the morning and knock off a project or two before going in to the hopital.

[Filas are Prima]

I agree completely with Hill Top Daisy.
I've been doing part time graveyard for just over three months, and it's a killer!
I have huge responsabilities with taking care of the Filas during the daytime. Getting home from work at 7:15 am, often I am so ruined that I cannot even feed the Filas before crashing. Or, if I do get them fed before I crash, I do wake up at about noon with the jolt thought of all the kennel work, watering, ear cleaning, turn out time, etc. necessary for their daily maintenance.
I try and go back for a good nap of a couple of hours before work-and it doesn't work. I lay there worrying that I won't wake up and miss work!
Also, the lack of sleep to me makes me feel like I'm hung over. Also, nauseated and dizzy.
My co-workers all say it takes at least six months to make the switch to graveyard. The difference is my co-workers aren't also running a little rancho like I am, with the daytime lifetime habit of ranch responsabilities.
And, when I was milking the goats, it was really impossible to get it all done!
If you are single, with no livestock, or other real demmands on your schedule, perhaps graveyard will work for you. Luckily, mine is just part time!

[magnolia2017]

From past experience, once your body gets used to it you'll be fine.

I work part-time and am actually only guaranteed Saturdays. I'm pretty much on call during the week and that really messes with getting anything done. I'd much rather either work a known schedule or not at all.

Maggie

[Rowdy]

For the last four years I have been working 5:30PM to 6AM four days on, four days off. On my days off I go back to a early daytime schedule. It can be hard.

It sometimes get in the way, since I am gone over twelve hours a night. Once I get home in the morning the clock is ticking down before I have to be at work again. My first day is always a long one, since I will get off at 6AM and then stay up all day.

anyway, it is 7AM, and that clock is counting down, so off to bed for me.

[steve-in-kville]

Our shifts overlap a few hours. Third starts around 11pm and is *supposed* to end at 9:30am, but often they stay an hour late. First shift (my current shift) is split... half start at 5am and the other starts at 7am.


I'm looking forward to it, but the adjustment of sleep schedules worries me.

[Jim S.]

Originally Posted by steve-in-kville

My wife is a home-maker, but I work a regular day job. I was given the oportunity to move from first shift to third. We work 4 days a week (Mon, Tues. & Thurs, Fri.) I know my sleeping and eating habits are gonna be out of wack until I adjust completely. Thankfully, this transistion will be taking place over the fall/winter when the growing season isn't too active.

Any forewarnings how this work schedule will work for a homesteader?

Well, I have worked third and loved it, but that was in my pre-farming days. I used to work days 7-3 and loved that, but now I am 8-5, and just that little shift in time has really added a lot of "when am I gonna get this done" stress on the farm.

Best of luck to you. I think you will like third from the farming perspective, though it can be tough on family relationships sometimes.

[HilltopDaisy]

Originally Posted by Filas are Prima

I agree completely with Hill Top Daisy.
I've been doing part time graveyard for just over three months, and it's a killer!
I have huge responsabilities with taking care of the Filas during the daytime. Getting home from work at 7:15 am, often I am so ruined that I cannot even feed the Filas before crashing. Or, if I do get them fed before I crash, I do wake up at about noon with the jolt thought of all the kennel work, watering, ear cleaning, turn out time, etc. necessary for their daily maintenance.
I try and go back for a good nap of a couple of hours before work-and it doesn't work. I lay there worrying that I won't wake up and miss work!
Also, the lack of sleep to me makes me feel like I'm hung over. Also, nauseated and dizzy.
My co-workers all say it takes at least six months to make the switch to graveyard. The difference is my co-workers aren't also running a little rancho like I am, with the daytime lifetime habit of ranch responsabilities.
And, when I was milking the goats, it was really impossible to get it all done!
If you are single, with no livestock, or other real demmands on your schedule, perhaps graveyard will work for you. Luckily, mine is just part time!

Yes, exactly!! And since I live alone, and milk goats twice a day, and care for many, many critters, night shift is the pits!

[FarmboyBill]

Originally Posted by steve-in-kville

My wife is a home-maker, but I work a regular day job. I was given the oportunity to move from first shift to third. We work 4 days a week (Mon, Tues. & Thurs, Fri.) I know my sleeping and eating habits are gonna be out of wack until I adjust completely. Thankfully, this transistion will be taking place over the fall/winter when the growing season isn't too active.

Any forewarnings how this work schedule will work for a homesteader?

Im just wondering, since I live near a kville too, wheres yours????????????

[yankeeterrier]

I work 5pm to 3 am and it works out great for me, but I have always been a night person!

Dianne

[rggambrell]

Every individual is different. I rotate all three shifts in a two week period. The 4 nights that I am on 3rd (11:00 PM to 7:00 AM) I only exist and do the things around the homestead that absoutely have to be done. If I worked straight 3rd I would not homestead. The 4 evenings on second are great. I leave work at 11:00 PM and am asleep before midnight, get up at 6:30 with the wife before she goes to work and I get a lot done before noon. Some of the guys I work with love 3rd they get off and do things all day then go to bed that evening and are good to go. But not me. Like I said every person is different.

[catmar]

I work the second shift because of child care. My DH comes home at 3:30 pm & I go to work @4. I get in around 2 am & after 5 hours sleep (If I'm lucky) I have to be awake to get DS off to school & entertain DD until I have to drive her to speech therapy or nursery school. If only nursery school lasted longer than 2 1/2 hours, then I could get a nap in there.
I wouldn't/couldn't change anything tho. I get to walk in the morning with the kids, I spend time with DD going over her lessons. I try to have a productive garden & a clean home.
Sometimes I'm too tired to think, other times I think I'm the luckiest mom.
Cathy

[big rockpile]

Work for years all hours of the day,7 days a week.Still took care of our Farm,and yes it was a true Farm.

But it help with DW being there when I wasn't as matter fact we would pass each other on the Highway going and coming.Plus lots of times I just did without sleep.

Just took time to get use to it.

big rockpile

Heck yes it interferes.

Monday through Friday I have to be out of here by seven and don't usually get home till 5:30 to 6:00. That's pretty much the entire daylight period shot by the time the family has been fed and the absolutely necessary chores are done. The real work gets done on the weekends and occasional holidays after I've subtracted the minimum family commitments that I'm not willing to forgo. This means that everything takes five times longer than it does most everyone else and usually at twice the expense.

But the alternative is not being able to do anything at all so one does the best one can. Such is life.

.....Alan.