My region of Kentucky has been battling triple digit temperatures for the past week or so and I'm happy to say that all our animals are coping really well this year. Last year, we didn't fare as well.
We were raising meatbirds and lost seven of them in one day due to the heat right when they were close to butchering. Considering that we could have sold them for at least $9/bird, the loss affected us financially as well as emotionally!
It's always just so sad to lose a farm animal due to something that you could have prevented. We thought we had done enough by moving them to the shade and giving them plenty of water, but our tarp on the chicken tractor actually had a silver underside which was making things worse instead! Once we removed that tarp and started misting them each day, we never lost another one. The homestead learning curve is just horrendously steep sometimes.
So for this issue, we have some suggestions for helping to keep your animals cool even in these brutally hot days. We've got suggestions for saving some of your seeds for next year and even some tips on putting food by even if you didn't have a garden or your garden dried up and blew away (like mine).
You all try to stay cool and enjoy God's creation!
All across the South, we are living with extreme heat conditions this sizzling Summer 2007. Here on our farm along the Dirt Farm in East Central Georgia, we've experienced record breaking temperatures as high as 109 degrees - need I mention the humidity and that dreadful heat index?
Whether you have a small backyard flock or a hen house full of layers, chickens suffer greatly in these soaring summer temperatures. There's nothing worse than seeing your flock standing around with their wings out-stretched, hanging away from their bodies and panting continuously. Yes, chickens pant in the heat!
What do we do to help our hens with the heat? We are constantly monitoring them all day long checking their water levels, replenishing their water supply about every two hours with fresh cool water, providing added shade with tarps, and at the high heat of the day we actually mist the birds down. In the event there are any birds in extreme stress, we hose them down immediately, then if need be, we crate and bring them inside the basement until the sun begins to set.
Chickens in chicken tractors and portable coops as well as those with limited access to shade are at greatest risk for overheating. In June, we fenced off our chickens with two large fenced yards that are accessible from the hen house. While in summers past, the chickens would spend hot summer days in the coolness of our woods, they were at major risk from predators. Although our new fenced yard plan protects our flock from four-legged predators, it limits their shade on these extreme days of heat. Therefore it is a must that we attend to them all day long! In fact we made a commitment to our livestock for no travel during the summer months for this very reason of unpredictable summer heat.
Regardless of the seasonal challenges we face raising our heritage flock, we feel privileged to live this life of rurality.
Keep it in the shade, Y'all!
Harriette Jacobs is a freelance writer in East Central Georgia, wife to Alan and homeschooling mom to their two sons. They raise heritage breed chickens - last count: 72, and have 4 dogs and a barn load of farm cats. You can visit Harriette online at: South of the Gnat Line -Where Muggy IS a Season Jacobs Academy:A Dirt Road Education Beekeeper Dreams - Where she's still counting bees in her sleep
I freeze 2 liter drink bottles for my bunny cages. Each rabbit gets its own mini-cooler to stretch out by. Our well water is very cool and we try to change the water for all our animals several times a day. We have put second hand ceiling fans in the bunny barn and chicken coop. I picked them up for free and my SIL installed them. The chickens get a cooling treat of frozen English peas on very hot days. I keep a large inexpensive bag on hand all summer. Frozen pineapple treats for the bunnies not only cool them down but the enzymes are good for their digestive tracts. I buy several bags of a cheap store brand when they are on sale. I also mist the rabbits with a cool mist a few times a day. For myself? Big hats, loose shirts and lots of iced mint tea. I just tell myself to hang on, Fall always comes again. ~Grandma Rosie
I orginally hail from Henderson, NV where it gets 115 plus. I grew up with horses, dogs & cats. I remember my father always tried to pasture the horses for the summer where it was cooler, however, there were many years he couldn't do so. In those years I remember him putting out salt blocks for hydration, along with filling a huge water trough daily. We always had dirt for them to roll & keep cool in. Also, we never put them in a barn. We had a big covered section for them though, to keep cool yet not stuffy. Our dogs were always allowed in and so were our cats. Unless we had to we tried to never put them out during the heat of the day. My dad's rule of thumb was, if it's too hot for you then it's to hot for the animals. Warning: never keep your animal in a car, even with the windows cracked in the summer time. It gets much, much hotter in your vehicle than outside. Example: outside temp is 115 degrees, inside your car it's approximately 140 degrees. ~Jessica
Our dog LOVES water so we put him in the pool with us and then let him paddle around. When he gets done, he runs around to dry off and then he goes into the house into the a/c with us. We also put ice into his water and he chases the ice cubes around in his bowl. For our friendly squirrels, I make sure they have fresh water in the birdbath twice a day. When it is really hot they (the squirrels)will lay in the birdbath to cool down. ~HomeWith2
Putting Food By For the Garden Challenged Leslie Valeska Some of us homesteaders don't garden. There are many reasons why-- time restraints, poor soil, climate, know how, tools, etc. However, just because you don't garden (or maybe your garden didn't produce as much as you had wanted) does not mean you cannot can or freeze provisions!
There are seasons for every kind of produce. For example, you may not purchase peppers or berries in the winter because the price is high. However, summer leaves these things in abundance and at rock bottom prices. When this occurs, buy as much as you can afford (as long as the produce is fresh and not over ripe). Portion out what you will use before spoilage and then can or freeze the rest. In this way you can enjoy food all year long. Blueberries freeze very well and are great in all types of desserts, syrups, jams, and jellies. Think peaches, plums, nectarines, etc. All can be canned when prices are low.
Spaghetti squash and other winter squash can be prepared and put by as well. For example, butternut squash can be parboiled or pureed and then frozen for use in baking, soups, and stews. You can also cut this into chunks and freeze raw. Spaghetti squash can be cooked and frozen.
When freezing produce, make certain to store it properly so as to get the maximum life span without freezer burn from the items. A vacuum sealer is a great option for getting out as much air as possible. With items that have a heavy water content, flash freeze and then vacuum seal.
Also, of important note, is the canning, freezing, and preserving of meat. When meat goes on sale, some families don't stock up because they don't have the freezer space. However, with a little planning, you can still take advantage of those savings by learning to can your meat.
Gardener or Gardener Wanna Be, you can put food by inexpensively.
New to putting food by? Need some extra information? Try these links for some great tips and advice.
Leslie Valeska and her husband homeschool their 4 children in southwest Florida. The family enjoys RVing, reading, movies, ice hockey, and serving the Lord. Visit Leslie at Raise the Cup! and Journey to Simplicity to read more of her writings.
If you are merely saving the extras from a packet of seeds, place them in an airtight container in a cool, dark place and you're done.
Now, if you want to save the seeds from your garden's bounty, there is a bit more involved; but it is still simple to do. First of all, start with good quality; take your seeds from a healthy vegetable, fruit or flower to insure good results. Seeds from Hybrid varieties will not produce true in the next planting; so plant heirloom or open pollinated varieties if you want to save seeds for planting next year.
When collecting seeds from flowers or flowering herbs watch carefully and pick the seed heads just as they get dry; wait too long and they'll drop seeds all over and replant themselves for you. Snipping the seed-heads into a paper bag makes collecting seeds from herbs like dill and basil a snap. Shake the bag a bit to loosen the seeds from the stems. Make sure the seeds are completely dry-- air dry them for a few days on a screen or flat baking pan if necessary. Once seeds are dry, into an airtight container they go, to be put away for next season!
Saving vegetable seeds can be a bit more tricky but still very doable. SeedSave.org has individual information on saving seed from 27 different vegetables. The book, Saving Seeds by Marc Rogers, also has detailed information on growing and storing vegetable and flower seeds.
After you've collected your seed, and dried it properly, it's time to store it. If you only have a few of one kind of seed, or very tiny seeds, such as Poppy seeds; you can put them in small envelopes. Coin envelopes are inexpensive, and a box will last you quite a long time. Label the envelope with the type of seed, the date, and any other planting information desired; you can store several of these small envelopes in a reusable plastic container or even put them inside a quart canning jar. For larger quantities of seed or large seeds like beans, put them into recycled glass jars with lids. Put a label on the jar so you'll know what's inside, detailed planting information can be written on a piece of paper and tucked inside the jar if you like.
Once those seeds are contained, place them in a cool, dark area for best keeping. I have a neat little 3 drawer chest that I keep mine in, but any cupboard or closet in a cool place should do fine. I've read that the best place to store your seeds is in the refrigerator, though I've never done so.
If you enjoy saving seeds, and would like to share with others, you might want to consider joining an organization like Seed Savers Exchange.
Perhaps I'll organize a Homestead to Homestead Seed Swap at Homesteadblogger. Anyone interested?
Catherine Love lives in Texas with her husband, Carl, and three daughters, Sarah, Hannah, and Cana. Visit her blog to read about their adventures in gardening and other homestead and homeschool activities.
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My region of Kentucky has been battling triple digit temperatures for the past week or so and I'm happy to say that all our animals are coping really well this year. Last year, we didn't fare as well. 
All across the South, we are living with extreme heat conditions this sizzling Summer 2007. Here on our farm along the Dirt Farm in East Central Georgia, we've experienced record breaking temperatures as high as 109 degrees - need I mention the humidity and that dreadful heat index?
Some of us homesteaders don't garden. There are many reasons why-- time restraints, poor soil, climate, know how, tools, etc. However, just because you don't garden (or maybe your garden didn't produce as much as you had wanted) does not mean you cannot can or freeze provisions!
Posted by Anonymous
