How to Stock Your Barn for Winter

Winter should be a time for rest, relaxation and reflection, so the last thing you want to be doing is scrambling around trying to manage your homestead through the snow and ice and frigid temperatures.  

In this episode of the Pantry Chat, Josh provides three core strategies to help you take stock of your winter needs, be more efficient and save money to make the overall management of your homestead easier and more enjoyable during the season.    

In this Episode

• Why stocking up your barn should be very similar to stocking up your pantry. 
• The process of moving from pasture to indoors and the steps you’ll need to take to ensure your animals have everything they need. 
• Why going week to week is so much more costly. 
• Why doing your research today is critical and a good place to start to determine how much feed you’ll actually need. 
• How much feed does an average cow consume and other feeding rules of thumbs for livestock? 
• How to determine how much you need to buy in bulk and the different ways you can save on delivery.  
• Why it’s a good idea to start keeping records of how much you’re buying and using. 
• The importance of providing salt and minerals to keep your animals healthy during the winter months and why you need to determine what elements are lacking in your particular area. 
• How to ensure your water supplies are adequate for your animals. 
• Why the right bedding is so important for your barn and the benefits of using wood shavings over straw to manage the waste. 
• Why your nose is a good indicator for determining how much bedding you need. 
• What is “economy in motion” and does it matter where you put your feeders? 

Resources: 

• MadeOn skin care products (use code “homesteadingfamily” for 15% off your purchase)
• Follow Homesteading Family on Instagram
• Follow Homesteading Family on Facebook

How would you like to come get a personal farm tour from me and Josh? Every year, we invite a small group of people to our homestead for a tour, and when you grab your tickets you get an exclusive invite to our private farm-to-table dinner! This year's event is coming up on July 25th, but we only have a few tickets left. Go ahead right now and save your spot!