No such thing as a schedule here. I work outside the home on an "on call" basis and when I'm home the schedule depends on the weather.

One of the nicest things about working second shift is rarely having to set the alarm clock. When it gets bright outside I usually wake up.

 

No two days are alike.

Slow days -I wake up around 6, and am up and going by 6:30. Now that school's out, the morning is mine. I eat a quick breakfast and then spend a bit of time on the computer. Then I go outside and do animal chores and work in the garden. I am generally finished by 2. I get cleaned up and take a nap. Then start supper for DH to arrive home at 4:30. I generally work inside in the evenings unless I have a few more garden chores to do. Right now, I am moving 2 dump loads of wood chips to the garden. I do 4-5 wheelbarrows a night. Then get cleaned up again and rest through the evening.

On Fast days-
up at 7, chores finished by 7:10. Get cleaned up dressed and out the door to run errands. Run to town, get home by noon and then do all the above without the nap and resting. Dinner is thrown on the table as I run out the door yet again to get to a different off-the-farm event. I get home by 9 or 10 and sit at the computer until 11.

Repeat over and over and over.

 

Morning: wake at 5:23. Coffee with DW on back porch til 5:45. Milk cows/feed lambs. Shower, breakfast, off to work.

Evening. Come home from work. Prepare dinner & eat. Milk cows/feed lambs. Find the current day's fire and extinguish it. Enjoy sunset on back porch with DW and a glass (or two) of wine. Put chickens away at bedtime. Nighty-night.

 

I'm up at 5:00am, stuff, shower and shave. I am at work by 7. Off at 4:00 (usually) home by five. Make supper for me and Bubba(long story) Feed the animals, putter around the yard, garden and house. Usually in bed, or at least holed up by eight.

What an exciting life I lead. Yawn!

 

Wake up, let the house dog out to potty, feed/water rabbits, check on horse/sheep water.
Later before bedtime, check feed/water for rabbits, feed dogs and cat.
Sheep/horses have pasture, large water tanks, need nothing most of the time other than water topping off.

Winter and lambing season are where the most work is. Now is just letting things live peacefully.
There's some watering of the garden and mowing/hay making now, but that's it.
Not too much work. I don't keep animals that are high maintenance.

 

The only set schedule is morning and evening chores feeding and watering all of the animals. The rest the day varies wildly depending on what is important, what the weather is like, etc. Friday is prep day for the Farmer's Market. Saturday we sell. Sunday we rest. Monday through Thursday is everything else.

 

Up when the birds wake me.

Check email.

Milk and feed goats and dog.

Look at list. Figure out priorities. Fix stuff, build stuff, mow stuff, spray weeds.

Eat lunch. Eat two pieces dark chocolate.

Take nap, if possible.

Fix stuff, build stuff, mow stuff, spray weeds. Go to town, get mail, do bookkeeping and paperwork.

Take goats for browse walk.

Eat supper.

Milk and feed goats. Feed dog.

Check email and HT.

Sleep.

Repeat.

 

Mine varies but this is usual. Up at 4 feed the pigs, chickens, cows and goats. At work by 6 work 12 hours, home by 7. Repeat feeding, have supper. If theirs any time left usually its in the garden or shooting 22 with my 5 yr. old girl, and 14 yr. old boy. Any building, fencing or major project is saved for after work on Saturday or Sunday. The wife and kids always helps too.

 

Up when the birds wake me.

Check email.

Milk and feed goats and dog.

Look at list. Figure out priorities. Fix stuff, build stuff, mow stuff, spray weeds.

Eat lunch. Eat two pieces dark chocolate.

Take nap, if possible.

Fix stuff, build stuff, mow stuff, spray weeds. Go to town, get mail, do bookkeeping and paperwork.

Take goats for browse walk.

Eat supper.

Milk and feed goats. Feed dog.

Check email and HT.

Sleep.

Repeat.

Nice list Alice in TX/MO

You actually milk the dog? Why only in the morning?
I have heard of milking cows, goats, sheep and even camels but never even considered milking a dog. Is dog milk as good as camel milk? :bouncy:

 

Up about 6:00
Let house dogs out, wash pots (I know I should do them after dinner, but I don't)
Drive DH to work, then drive home again (his peripheral vision isn't up to driving) - home about 9:15 give or take
Might do some shopping before arriving home, but not usually
Feed, water and give good look over the sheep, lambs and cattle.
Feed chickens, look for eggs.
Water veggies if needed, check them for insects (not many so far - they are all in containers this year)
Do any weeding needed in flower beds
Do general house chores
Eat brunch around noon-ish
Do stuff like washing, mowing or other stuff that doesn't get done every day
Check email, play with puppies, relax for an hour
Start dinner preparation.
Go pick up DH and drive home.
Finish cooking dinner, serve meal
clear table, relax = reading, watch TV, knitting
I'm usually in bed by 10:00 to 10:30
I live a pretty boring life. LOL

Mary

 

Morning: wake at 5:23. Coffee with DW on back porch til 5:45. Milk cows/feed lambs. Shower, breakfast, off to work.

Evening. Come home from work. Prepare dinner & eat. Milk cows/feed lambs. Find the current day's fire and extinguish it. Enjoy sunset on back porch with DW and a glass (or two) of wine. Put chickens away at bedtime. Nighty-night.

5:23 huh? Why 5:23? I wake up at 5:23 am. So tomorrow when I wake up the first thing I'll think is Awnry Abe is awake. :hohum:

 

Get up 6AM

Feed Dogs, Chickens and Rabbits.

Eat Breakfast

Do hour and half Bible Study

Get on Computer and watch News on TV

Maybe do Garden and Yard work

Eat Dinner

Watch my Soap

Find something to do outside

Watch evening News

Eat Supper

Close up Chickens and Rabbits

Get on Internet

Go to Bed

This can change if I'm hunting or fishing. Plus go to Church twice a week.

big rockpile

 

5:23 huh? Why 5:23? I wake up at 5:23 am. So tomorrow when I wake up the first thing I'll think is Awnry Abe is awake. :hohum:

Just sending secret messages to my fellow secret society members. No seriously, I just flicked the iPhone alarm minute setting and that's where it landed. It's been that way for a few years. The alarm is just my backup. I'm usually stirring by then.

 

Just sending secret messages to my fellow secret society members. No seriously, I just flicked the iPhone alarm minute setting and that's where it landed. It's been that way for a few years. The alarm is just my backup. I'm usually stirring by then.

No alarm for me, it's my internal one and I wish I could change it Old age cometh

 

I was going to write mine out but relized my 90 minutes of commuting a day and 10-12 hour workday 5 a week makes me look a little crazy. I still fit in a minum of 1 hour in the morning of livestock chores and other chores and then at least 30 minutes a night if only a 10hour workday (11.5 with commute) i get in 60-90 minutes at night.

The killer is my job is very physical (ups driver) and i have to be careful not to do too much during the week or else the next day is tough!

I just tell myself pension at 51 pension at 51 lol

 

Everyday is the exact same for me.

I start in feeding, watering and moving critters. Right now I have...
Cornish cross meatbird chickens,
large brown egg laying chickens,
Rouen and Pekin ducks,
Standard Bronze and Bourbon Red turkeys,
Coturnix quail,
Berkshire and Spot pigs,
Black Welsh Mountain sheep,
Californian rabbits,
Pygmy goats,
Hereford, Angus, Brangus cross cattle,
Quarter and Paint horses,
a mule,
Blue and Red Heeler dogs,
and cats
takes about 3 or so hours to go through them

Then I do projects. Like... planting, weeding, mowing, shoeing, building stuff, making new pens, butchering, fencing, cutting trees, routine vet work, etc.

Then I go through and animal chore again. 2 to 3 hours of that again.

Then I do another project or start in watering if I have to water and it's dark. I've planted over 100 trees and landscaping bushes this spring and am growing all kinds of produce.

I also like to butcher any chickens and turkeys that I need to late at night.

I got rid of tv, so I read about something I am getting into right before bed....most times take another sweep around some of the animals...read some more and go to sleep.

I don't have time to sleep much or I fall way behind. Sometimes I just don't go to sleep. It's 4 am right now...lol....and it's not far off from starting all over.

I didn't include any cooking, cleaning, laundry and all that. I usually wash big stuff like sheets, blankets and all that in the morning so it can go out on the line and have plenty of time to dry. Lots of crock pot meals really help on time.

I put up my own hay with no crew and am about to start in on that. I'll admit, doing the hay and taking care of all this other stuff, especially staying on top of the gardens at the same time, almost kills me....lol. ...but I've brought it on myself and love it! A lot of times when I stop to open a gate with a load of hay, I have to pick produce that is right there or water some pigs real quick, then go through the gate and stuff like that.

I hope I didn't bore anybody! I find it an interesting topic and enjoyed reading the replies!

 

Countrywannabe, why do you keep your insects in a container??

Alice in Virginia

 

Has anyone noticed this topic was started by one of those one post wonders?

 

Countrywannabe, why do you keep your insects in a container??

Alice in Virginia

Well, even insects need a home...

Mary

 

Has anyone noticed this topic was started by one of those one post wonders?

Critical are we??? Maybe you should ask how I'm doing instead of judging me for only posting once. How about I tell you why I haven't posted. 😊 I've been sick for a couple weeks, have a daughter I homeschool, a 9 month old to care for and we have been packing to move from California to Virginia in less than 2 months so we can start our homestead. From the looks of it I have a lot of important things to do. 👍

 

Thanks everyone for your replies! It's very helpful. My husband wanted to know from others how a typical or non typical day on the homestead would look like since he will be working full time for his company while we start our homestead. Of course our daughter and myself will take on some responsibilities as well.

 

I'm a full time "steader". Schedule looks something like this ( though it changes with seasons and circumstances):

6am: up, have coffee and 'wake up'
7am: move electronetting, drive sheep and lead cow to pasture
7:30 -9:30: work in garden
9:30: come in for breakfast
10:30-2:30: Inside chores/run errands/check email/internet time/eat/etc
2:30-5:00: Shear sheep/worm/cut wood/maintain equipment/canning/butchering etc (depends on season )
5:00-7:00: Muck out stalls, haul water, spread bedding, drive animals back and lock them up in barn
7:00pm-10pm: Dinner and leisure until bedtime.

Thats a typical day but it can all be different depending on the circumstances. During hay season I'll put the animals out and hay most of the day. If there is a sick animal or busted equipment it could throw a whole week off. I'm usually going 7 days a week but I take breaks as needed. On sunday I try to take it easy a bit, and sometimes I just need to step away.

In winter the days are alot less demanding and I spend more time cooking, eating and reading.

 

Up when the birds wake me.

Check email.

Milk and feed goats and dog.

Look at list. Figure out priorities. Fix stuff, build stuff, mow stuff, spray weeds.

Eat lunch. Eat two pieces dark chocolate.

Take nap, if possible.

Fix stuff, build stuff, mow stuff, spray weeds. Go to town, get mail, do bookkeeping and paperwork.

Take goats for browse walk.

Eat supper.

Milk and feed goats. Feed dog.

Check email and HT.

Sleep.

Repeat.

Love your listing of the 2 pieces of chocolate. Your priorities are spot on!!!

 

Has anyone noticed this topic was started by one of those one post wonders?

Tsk, tsk. Everyone has a first post. Didn't you once? I think the question is a good one. I have not yet acquired a country homestead so this has been an interesting topic.

 

Hey, all.
My old schedule:
5:30: Wake Up, brush teeth, wash face, etc. Do the rounds on animals, about an hour, then harvest and set garden water, also about an hour. Eat breakfast, usually leftovers, by 8. Prep lunch and dinner (usually a slow cooker meal or something I can put in the fridge and pop in the oven quickly).
Chores and garden care (weeding, debugging, pruning, etc.) until lunch at one. After lunch, go back to working in the garden, until a sixth is done. (That way, I see everything in a week.) Start on preserving food, go until 6pm. In summer, spend less time on chores due to garden needs. (My house is a dump by September.) In winter, utilize extra time for keeping the house clean and doing handicrafts.
At 6pm, do animal rounds. Eat dinner, finish the day with last of preserves, handicrafts, indoor plant care, or just vegging. Get ready for bed around 9:30, actually sleep at 10. In summer, switch dinner and animal rounds time because of sunlight. Stay up later because I lack self-control, and it's still light outside.

My new schedule is a little less easy. I moved last spring, unexpectedly, and my new place has way more land and a worse garden. All the animals have their own building instead of a centralized barn. I love it, but it takes an hour more to do the rounds, since it hasn't been well-maintained. The garden, likewise, is a little more slapdash than my previous one. I spend hours on watering, harvesting, weeding, without as much produce, so I don't get to spend as much time as I'd like on handicrafts or cooking or cleaning.

I expect, in a few years, I'll get back to my originally timed schedule, though with perhaps a bit more time spent on animals, as I've got more land now for them to forage and grow on.