Self Sufficiency
Keeping Your Barn Animals Cool for the Summer | Homesteading Tips For Summer Preparedness

Home Animals Keeping Your Barn Animals Cool for the Summer | Homesteading Tips For Summer Preparedness
Want to know how to keep your animals cool for the summer? If you want to be prepared for the upcoming hot summer months, let these tips be your guide.
Keeping Your Barn Animals Cool for the Summer | Homesteading Tips For Summer Preparedness
Just like with people, extreme heat during summer months can trigger heat stress that can be devastating to animals. Several animals are more sensitive to heat than others, however, all of them need some care because animals could also die from overheating just like people can. Check the tips below for some natural ways that you can keep your animals cool.
1. Provide lots of water to protect animal from heat
The first vital step in protecting your animals from heat is to provide them with lots of clean water. Just like people, animals sweat and need to replace the lost of water to prevent dehydration.
Keep in mind that some livestock, such as cows and horses, needs between 6 to 20 gallons of water per day! In summer, algae tend to grow in water buckets and troughs but this type won’t hurt most animals, except to the few blue-green varieties that may be the result of water contaminated by fertilizer and can be toxic to your animals.
Stagnant water is a breeding ground for mosquitos and bacteria that is harmful to your animals. Clean your water buckets and troughs at least every couple of days. Water can be precious in hard times and to preserve it wait until your buckets and troughs are empty before you clean it.
2. Ensure that shelters are well-ventilated to protect animals from heat
If you choose to let your animals out at night so that they can take advantage for the cooler air, that would perfect, however, if thieves is a problem in your area, that may not be a good idea. To ensure that there’s plenty of ventilation in your barn keep the doors at either end of the barn open and keep the outside half-doors to the stalls open so that the air can get through.
3. Provide Access to Shade at All Times
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Shade is a perfect way to keep your animals cool. If you have a lot of trees that can provide sufficient shade for all your animals, that’s great. If not, then you need to build them a shelter that is positioned in such way that it’s shaded all day.
4. Create a mud hole for your Pigs
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Pigs can’t sweat. So make sure they have plenty of shade and creating a mud hole for them would be a great way to keep them from overheating in the summertime, aside from providing them lots of water.
5. How to keep Chickens cool
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Like dogs and cats, chickens pant to cool themselves. Provide them with lots of cold water. You can add ice to the water or place a bottle or gallon jug of frozen water in the water bucket. Another great way is to feed them with watermelon rinds or add frozen fruits and veggies to their water to keep it cool.
Just like any other livestock, chickens need electrolytes in addition to water to keep everything balanced. You can add Gatorade or Pedialyte to their water or make your own mix of 1/2 teaspoon salt substitute, 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon table salt, 1 tablespoon sugar mix to a 1 gallon of water. Take note that there’s is no need to give this mixture to a chicken that doesn’t show signs of heat stress, though it does not hurt to provide it once a week or so.
6. Sheer sheep and other furry animals in the spring
Some wool actually helps keep a sheep and other wool producers cool. That is why many farmers sheer them in the spring so that by summer they have enough wool to keep cool and by winter, their coats are thick enough to keep them warm.
This also applies to dogs that have long or thick coats. Shave them in order to help them stay cool and keep them out of the sun and leave a bit of hair on them to protect their skin from sunburn.
7. Suppress them from hot surfaces
Asphalt, concrete, sand and even wood can get terribly hot and may burn your pet’s body and paws. Suppress them from lying on hot surfaces because it can quickly raise their body temperature and put them at risk for heat stroke.
Once your dog shows signs of heat stroke such as thick sticky saliva, rapid panting, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, a bright red tongue, and extra red or pale gums, bathe them with room temperature water and allow him to dry naturally while keeping him out of the heat.
8. Electrolytes
Like people, in addition to water animals need salt and other minerals to stay hydrated and keep their bodies functioning.
You can buy salt blocks and mineral blocks from your local feed and hardware stores and put them in the pasture or in each individual feed bucket. Giving them free access to both is the best option because they can use it as their bodies crave for it. It is necessary to add salt block so that your animals can get salt that they need without the extra minerals.
Summer heat is dangerous to our pets and livestock as it is to us and many of the same common rules and principles apply. If you’re in a situation where losing your animals may mean starving or being stranded, it’s vital to protect your animals from heat.
Need more tips on how to keep your animals cool from the summer? Check out this video from A.T. Fence :
Do you think you can now keep your barn animals cool for the summer? Let us know below in the comments!
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Like this? I’m sure you will never regret checking the links below.
Goats – A Homesteader’s Best Friend
9 Tips for Raising Healthy Pigs For Homesteading
17 Ways to Keep Your House Cool and Save Money This Summer
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Self Sufficiency
How To Make Lacto-Fermented Sauerkraut In A Mason Jar
The thing about homesteading is you get to create your own ingredient right from scratch! Cheese, yogurt, butter and now sauerkraut, a delightfully sour and crunchy ingredient you can use on your meals — or consume by itself — while on a homestead, or while facing this health crisis!
This homemade sauerkraut is a great meal because it has a long shelf life. You can either make plain sauerkraut or mix it with herbs and spices. In this tutorial let us make Lacto-fermented sauerkraut that preserves all the good probiotics in a jar, good for your guts.
So how to make sauerkraut in a mason jar?
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Delicious Sauerkraut Recipe Every Homesteader Should Know
Why Make Sauerkraut?
Not only does sauerkraut spoil a long time, but it is also a meal in itself, and it is also easy to make! You don’t need to be an expert cook, all you need to do is follow these simple steps.
So let us get started. Here are the steps in making sauerkraut in a mason jar.
Ingredients:
- 1 head of cabbage or 2 1/2 lbs cabbage
- 1 tablespoon of salt
Tools Needed:
- knife
- bowl
- mason jar
- smaller jar
- rubber band
Step 1: Wash & Clean the Tools & Ingredients
Wash all the equipment and utensils you need. Wash your hands too.
You don’t want to mix your sauerkraut with bad bacteria, anything that is going to make you sick.
Next, remove the faded leaves from your cabbage. Cut off the roots and the parts that don’t seem fresh.
Step 2: Cut the Cabbage Into Quarters & Slice Into Strips
Cut your cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Then, slice it into strips.
Step 3: Place in a Bowl & Sprinkle With Salt
Put the stripped cabbage into a bowl. Sprinkle the cabbage with 1 tablespoon of salt.
TIP: Use canning salt or sea salt. Iodized salt will make it taste different and may not ferment the cabbage.
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Step 4: Massage the Cabbage
Massage the cabbage for five minutes or more to get the juice out.
TIP: You’ll know it’s ready when you see a bit of juice at the bottom of the bowl and will look similar to coleslaw.
Step 5: Press Cabbage Into the Mason Jar
Add the cabbage to the mason jar gradually. Press it in hard to allow the juice to come out. Do this every time you add about a handful of cabbage.
IMPORTANT: Food should be covered by the liquid to promote fermentation. Add any excess liquid from the bowl to the jar.
Step 6: Press a Smaller Jar Into the Mason Jar
You want to squeeze every ounce of that juice from the cabbage. To do this place the mason jar in a bowl and get a smaller jar.
Fill it with water or marble to make it heavy. Press it into the bigger mason jar. Allow any juices to rise to the surface.
Step 7: Cover the Jars With Cloth & Tie With Rubber Band
Leave the small jar on. To keep your jars clean from annoying insects and irritating debris, cover your jars with a clean cloth. Then, use a rubber band to tie the cloth and the jars together, putting them in place.
Step 8: Set Aside & Check Daily
Set it aside in a cool dry place, away from direct sunlight. Check the water level daily. It should always be above the cabbage.
Step 9: Taste Your Sauerkraut & Keep at Cool Temperatures
After about five days, you can taste your sauerkraut. If the taste is to your liking, tightly cover it with the lid and store in the fridge or cellar.
NOTE: If after five days it’s still not your desired taste, leave it for a few more days. This will allow the fermentation process to continue.
You can now enjoy your sauerkraut in a mason jar. Enjoy its goodness! You can use it as a side dish or mix it with your favorite sandwich.
Things to Remember in Making Sauerkraut
- Store away from direct sunlight and drafts.
- Colder weather will make the process longer. Spring is the best time to make them since the warmth helps activate the fermentation.
- Always make sure that the cabbage is below the water level during the entire fermentation process.
- If the water level decreases during the fermentation process, you can make a brine and add it.
Let us watch this video from Kristina Seleshanko on how to make delicious Lacto-fermented sauerkraut in a mason jar!
So there you have it! Making Lacto-fermented sauerkraut in a mason jar is as easy as slicing the cabbage into strips. Remember that as long it remains unopened, your sauerkraut can last for months. Best of all, you can partner this sauerkraut in many recipes.
What do you think of this homemade recipe? Share your best sauerkraut recipe in the comments section below!
Fellow homesteaders, do you want to help others learn from your journey by becoming one of our original contributors? Write for us!
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9 SPRING VEGETABLES FOR YOUR GARDEN
Having plants in the house will bring peace to people. Having a little garden with vegetables is even better! You can grow these vegetables in your backyard garden easily as well!
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Growing veggies in your garden will give you an opportunity to understand what you eat and value it more. Early spring is when most vegetables are being planted. Keep reading to learn about 9 spring vegetables that anyone can grow in their garden!
Tomato
Tomato is the most popular garden vegetable in the States! There are different varieties to choose from. Tomatoes need to be planted in early spring because they won’t survive a frost.
Because tomatoes are consumed daily, try adding them to your garden! They’re not difficult to grow either.
Eggplant
Eggplants are known to have low-calorie, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Plus, they are delicious! So why not plant them in your garden?
Eggplants shouldn’t be planted too early because they won’t be able to survive a frost. So you could consult an expert in your area before you plant your eggplants.
Beets
Beets are known to be a superfood for its various health benefits. They’re easier to grow in the garden, usually around late March or early April.
If the weather is always cool, beets will keep getting bigger and bigger. Once the weather starts to warm up, you’ll need to harvest them, or they’ll go to waste.
Spinach
Spinach is a delicious early spring veggie, and it’s also very beneficial for health. And it’s not difficult to grow spinach in your garden!
Spinach needs cold weather to grow. Getting spinach to grow is easy, but keeping it growing will require some extra care.
Pea
Peas are usually planted in late April. Peas will die in freezing temperatures, but they also won’t survive the heat either. So make sure you plant your peas in early spring.
Peas are widely used in many different ways, and there are different types of peas. The soil you’ll be planting your peas should be suitable for them, so make sure you ask while buying seeds.
Carrot
There are different types of carrots, but regardless of their size and color, it’s a fact that carrots are both delicious and rich in vitamins.
They’re root vegetables, so with proper sun and watering, they can be picked up as baby carrots as well.
Radish
A radish is an excellent option for beginners because it doesn’t require too much care. Radish is easy to harvest.
Radish grows fast, so it’s better to keep an eye on it after a few weeks. Radish usually is grown pest-free, but there’s always the chance of unwanted guests, so watch out for worms. Radish can be eaten raw or can be added to garnish recipes.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower isn’t the easiest vegetable to grow at home, but it is very popular.
Cauliflower grows better in colder weather, so before you plant it, consider the climate of your garden. Cauliflower can be eaten raw or cooked, and it is known to be very beneficial for health.
Asparagus
Freshly picked, tender asparagus is very delicious!
Asparagus plants get more productive with each harvest, and mature asparagus harvest can last for months! Make sure you plant them at the correct time, or else they might go to waste.
All the vegetables listed above are great for your healthy diet, and it’s fun to watch them grow. So don’t miss out on the opportunity to grow your own veggies and eat healthy this spring!
So tell us which veggies will you be growing this spring? Tell us in the comments section!
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