4 Wiley Farm
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Our Winners
  • For Sale
    • Cows
    • Semen
  • Why Minis?
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • In Motion
  • Shop Our Farm
    • Merchandise
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Our Winners
  • For Sale
    • Cows
    • Semen
  • Why Minis?
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • In Motion
  • Shop Our Farm
    • Merchandise

This is Us​ - our life, our story, our farm

5 Tips to Avoid the Winter Chore Blues

2/27/2016

2 Comments

 
About this time of year it seems like the winter will never end.  The days are cold, the nights come early and the sun rarely shines it's rays (at least here in Ohio).  Will spring ever come?  
5 tips to avoid winter chore blues
Chores are always harder around the farm during the winter.  Not only do you have to feed hay and keep water from freezing, but you have to do it in the dark and with 15 layers of clothes on. Here are 5 ways to avoid the winter chore blues.
1.  Fun winter clothes
If you have to layer up, you might as well have a good time doing it.  Buy yourself a funky hat or brightly colored gloves.  This time of year you can probably find a good winter clearance sale, so treat yourself to something new.  Who cares what you look like long as you are warm and having fun.  
playing while doing farm chores
2.  Turn chore time into a game
Our boys are notorious for spending an excessive amount of time doing chores.  Sometimes it is a way to avoid homework, and other times it is because they have become sidetracked.  It is not unusual for us to go check on them and find them playing hide and seek or shooting their toy guns while they are waiting on the water troughs to finish filling.  Nobody said work has to be all work...add a little play to the mix.
below freezing temperatures
3.  Check the weather
Scan the forecast to see what the week's weather looks like and plan to do more on the better days.  If it is going to be snowing, raining or below freezing tomorrow, then put out an extra bale of hay tonight.  There will always be those weeks with no relief and you just have to trudge through, but do the best you can to minimize your exposure on the really bad days.  

4.  Do more so you can do less
That may not sound like it makes any sense, but it really does.  Do more now so you can do less tomorrow.  For instance, give the chickens a couple extra scoops of feed tonight so that it will last them for two days and you don't have to feed them tomorrow.  If your cows don't empty the water trough every day, fill it to the brim tonight so that you don't have to do it tomorrow.  Try to have one night that you do all of the extra chores so that the next night will be extra light.  If you are smart, you will also plan this around the weather.

Picture
5.  Reward yourself
There is nothing more refreshing than a cup of hot chocolate or a warm bath on a cold night.  Farm chores are hard work and winter farm chores are extra hard work.  You have done a good job caring for your animals each and every day, but don't forget to take good care of yourself.  Giving yourself an extra bonus not only gives you something to look forward to at the end, but it makes you move a little faster to come in out of the cold.  
cattle snow scenes
Don't get weary and discouraged at the never ending winter. Spring will come...eventually.  Put on your fun winter hat and gloves, try to turn chore time into fun time, check the weather to do more on the nicer days, double up on chores to give yourself an easy day and be sure to reward yourself for a hard job well done.  

Don't forget to enjoy the beauty of winter.  Some of the most majestic scenes are the icicles hanging from the trees.  Before you know it, the snow will melt and you will be baking in the sun on the back of a hay wagon.  

In other news...
brand new Miniature Hereford calf
Last Saturday night we had our first calf.  Daniel and the boys were down in Lebanon, Ohio at the BEST show.  Fortunately I had decided to stay home on Saturday and get some things done at home.  I came home from the grocery, went and checked on Rachel and found her in labor with a foot sticking out. 
Miniature Hereford bull calf
We have a very healthy and strong little bull calf.  He is Mitchell's very first offspring and we can already tell he is going to be a lot like his daddy.  

Our next calf is not due until May.  Come on heifers!

You might also like...
The Herd
Our Young Farmers Stepping Up to the Plate
Ode to a Cow
2 Comments
Taylor-Made Homestead Blog link
2/29/2016 09:30:20 am

Love those Herefords, I've got a soft spot for them. Congrats on the new baby boy! (stopping by from the Clever Chicks Blog Hop)

~Taylor-Made Homestead~
Texas

Reply
akansasfarmmom link
3/29/2016 03:11:32 pm

Great tips, although this winter didn't put too much stress on us here in Kansas. There is nothing cuter that a Hereford calf. Thanks for sharing on the Country Fair Blog Party this month.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Let's Connect

    Picture

    Author

    Hello!  I am Heather... the city girl turned mom to manure loving country boys. My husband and I both grew up in the city, but spent weekends visiting grandparents in the country.  We are first generation farmers who learn best by almost always doing things the hard way.  I hope you enjoy following along with our adventures down on the farm.

    Shop Our Farm

    Archives

    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    10 On The 10th
    Books
    Calving
    Character
    Everything Else
    Food
    Hay
    How To
    Photography
    Showing
    Things We Love

    RSS Feed

    Popular Posts

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

The Cows

​Why Minis?
Our Winners
For Sale

The Family

Home
About Us
Contact Us
Disclosure

Follow Us

Blog - Down on the Farm
Instagram
You Tube
Facebook

Associations

​Miniature Hereford Breeders Association
American Hereford Association
Ohio Cattlemen's Association