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It wouldn't give me a comment box to type in so my apologies, I had to put my comment here. Last winter, my big boo boo was the first flush on my rain catchment. My friend Steve had built the rain catchment system, and on the first flush on the cap, he made the hole just a little bit too big and so I was losing too much water that wasn't making it into the tank. It being summer at the time, I ran a screw up into the hole to plug it. I just had to remember to unscrew the cap once in awhile and let the leaves and mud out. However I was not used to including it in my winter preparation schedule and forgot about it. Yep, it froze and broke. And the way he did it he had the connections too close together with no spacing between them so in order to fix it properly I have to take that whole thing apart which is substantially expensive for me on a disability income. So yeah if you've got any rain catchment or similar type systems that could fill and burst, I would make preparations to shut them down or make sure the drain holes are properly excavated, etc.
Wonderful idea. Expandable water hoses. Every winter I have to drag hoses out of the well which is down 8 feet and drag 300 ft to fill up my barrels in the house as my water line sprung a leak underground. Havent had enough money to get repaired yet. Also have to fill up horse and goats trough, chicken, and rabbit waterers, which are 100 ft. From pump house. I work 14 hour days 7 days on and off so need to have water taken care of for the week. I am 72 live alone and my woman's bones appreciate all the tricks to make winter easier. I use solar lights to light up my pathways, goat feeding area and barns for chickens rabbits and my walk in dog house. Bless you guys from my homestead in Canada where -15 is a warm day. Lol
I am sure it keeps her going. 78 here and doing similar, not dragging hoses to such a large extent but handling those 50 lb sacks of feed. I downsize a bit each year, raised beds to replace mowing, etc, etc. My kids know I am living my life and enjoying it. It all gives me a reason to get up each morning. I hope this dear soul is able to retire from her work real soon. She is a dynamo💕💕💕
@jenniferrevilla5298 Thank you. But I love my job and my homestead life. Everyone thinks I am much younger. Its not hard work if its fun. Once in a while I ask for assistance from the Lord and my guardian angel makes the chore much easier. Bless the Lord who watches over me and my animals. My job is Security so I go to work to rest my body. Lol
But in the summer you can't turn them on if rolled up...roll them out, if not where they were kinked they break... I've had many here in hot SE. Louisiana
A suggestion for the panels on the back side of the coops...install hurricane hardware. Then all you have to do is hang them on the installed bolts and attach with a wing nut. It becomes a one person job instead of needing someone to hold the panel while the other puts the screws in. It also keeps the screw holes from wallowing out on the wood frame from taking the screws in and out.
What is hurricane hardware? I looked that phrase up and saw basically bolts and nuts? I have a similar coop looking to winterize and I am a single woman manhandling the plywood.
Hey Kevin. You might want to harvest those Mullein leaves growing next to your well house before the cold weather. They can help a lot with nasty coughs!
We have a wood stove too. We collect water in jugs that would normally go down the drain while warming up the shower water. We use it to water plants, pets and to put in our cast iron steamer pot on the wood stove. This helps raise the humidity in the house because wood heat is very drying. It can also be used for emergency water in case of a power outage, which fortunately for us, is very rare. We love wood heat!
Question about Lodge Cast Iron. I put water in a pre-seasoned pot on top of our woodstove because I read this helps with humidity and the pot shouldn't rust. It did. First day. What the heck??
Strings of holiday lights. Wrap them around the pipes and the pump. How is Watson doing? Hope his foot/hoof is doing much better. Thanks for sharing. God bless and protect.
❄️ This last week 22 inches snow in 3 days but only got down about 25 degrees. Cows water didn't freeze just slush. Last night rain. Stay busy and safe❤from eastern Colorado
So I’m from Montana and we have to Heat Tape all our pipes !! You might consider that …….and put a thermal wrap around the tank !! And at 50 below we even put styrophome around the livstock water tank and on the top with a hole to drink from …..sometimes the tank heater needs “help” 😊😊
Make sure your vehicles are winter ready. You don't want a dead battery in an emergency situation! I keep my snow shovel right outside the door, I've too often been out shoveling in a storm to make sure I'm not going to be blocked in 😊 check your insulated clothes to make sure they fit and are in good repair. I'm so thankful that my electric has never gone out in the winter here. 😊
A couple years ago, We changed over to those slinky hoses for our horses, and chickens. We are in Iowa, winters can be brutal. These hoses are a game changer for us! We've pulled and drained the old rubber hoses for so many many years, battling ice and wind chill. We are thrilled and thankful for these new type of hoses. 100% recommend.
Those retractable hoses are the best! I’m old, so I remember when they first came out. I bought two for my elderly Mom so she could continue to garden and quit tripping or being pulled to the ground with the standard hose. The standard hose was way too heavy for her. The retractable hose worked like a charm, but didn’t last a season. They’re made much, much better today! She’s since past away, but as a older women myself, I have them, and love them
I always forget to put away the tools that are left out. once the snow comes you cannot find it until springtime and there's always early springtime chores that you need those tools for. Put your tools away early!!!!
So glad you have things ready for the Winter. Thankfully we really don’t get much of a freeze. We protect all our faucets with guards so we don’t have to worry. We can leave the water on for the garden as it doesn’t really get cold enough to freeze down to the water depth. Stay safe and healthy and sending you Hearts and flowers for you both. ❤️💐
Our well house is below ground. We installed a 6ft culvert at 8ft tall and put an insulated lid. Stays plenty warm even down to -25°f. Looks like you guys are all set. Our frost free hydrants always used to freeze in the winter so i now use metal trash cans that i have sprayed foamed inside and put over our frost free hydrants over the winter. Never freezes now.
🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂😂🤣🤣😂I had to laugh when one of the polish chickens jumped over the ducks back! @12:18 Looked like it was using the duck as a spring board, 🤣🤣😂🤣😂. Did anybody else see that?? Love all of the tips you gave for prepping for winter, I think I am ready. God Bless!!
My husband got fed up with the foam insulation for water pipes. 😀 He used faced insulation for the pipes. He wrapped them a few times snuggly and secured them. No frozen water pipes. It may be unconventional, but it worked great. We had a really cold (-20) winter. Thank you, Jesus, for what works really well.
I like to have bags of leaves ready for bedding in my coops and the full bags can also be used as wind breaks depending on how your coops are situated. 🙂
I just saw Homesteading Family where Carolyn talks about freeze dried food and how to protect it in jars vacuumed sealed. At the end she did a demo on how to use the freeze drier itself to vacuum seal many jars at once in the freeze drier by removing the tray. Worth checking it out
Yes!!! Power is essential! I spent 10 days without power in the last terrible ice storm in Urbana MO. Wood or gas, not electric heat!! It was miserable. Im putting a masonry furnace in my new home!
Thanks Sarah and Kevin for the great video on being ready for winter around there. Stay safe and keep up the great work and fun you both share around there. Fred.
Got to our property here in MO the day the worst storm since 2017 hit. Three days of high wind, torrential rain, flood warnings & tornados all while living in a tent. Good times! 😂😅
Expandable water hose 🤯 thought I’d never buy one thinking they were gimmicky garbage. Credit to Beth and you for sharing with us definitely took away the hose headache of winter Thank you
You should consider an adjustable thermostat and running two bulbs simultaneously. The thermostat would keep things at the temperature you set it for while the second bulb simultaneously makes sure that one broken bulb doesn't goof things up. That's what we do for our chicken coop. 😁👍
I just watched the 2 cranberry videos again. Thanks. Idea. I use cream of tarter in my canning water-nice clean jars without the corrosiveness of vinegar. Bonus is the canner is brighter too
You could use your propagation mats in the well house. Wrap one or two around tank. Lay mats over Pipes. Place large tarp over items in pump shed to make tent effect to reduce area mats would have to heat.
We have a "well pit" rather than a well house. I always had problems with the heat lamp bulbs breaking, so we started using a workshop drop light with a 100 watt bulb. That bulb is starting on its 3rd winter rather than 3 of the others per winter.
That’s awesome 👍🏽 I’m in California and it’s not as cold as where your homestead is but, we have to be ready 👍🏽 thank you for sharing I’m going to start getting ready too 🤭
❤Hoses - one was left out to easily provide water to barn animals, but frost today let us know it’s next on the list to put away so rolling them up tomorrow (when it’s warmer) putting us back to hauling buckets from inside to them once a day. Also have a shut off valve in the hose for the hose water pipes going outside. Plumber put it in after a bad leak in the winter exploded and worth every penny! Think insulation board inside buildings then cover with 1/4 much board for added protection. I’ve been know to go into the barn when doing outside chores rather than the house cause it’s warm & dry for animals without heating elements. NJ
We put a propane heater like what you would put in a garage. Usually its just the pilot light burning but when it deops down in temp it comes on automatically so you don’t have to working about checking the bulbs or the power going out. No worries!
We just had to finally turn the furnace on full time yesterday 11-12 so was thankful it stayed as warm as it had been because it helps on our LP gas bill.
I hope your winter is a mild one and spring weather arrives early. That’s always been a hope of mine living in Wisconsin. Now we spend the winter in Texas.
Right now I'm taking a break from splitting firewood so sitting down for a bit to watch! Can't wait too long, as rain is moving in this afternoon. Thanks for all the reminders. 😊 Texas Deb ❤️
I have 2 expandable hoses - love tnem! Also have a small 30 gallon insulated water tank with water & a heat lamp in my small greenhouse to keep watering plants inside for the winter.
In addition to heat lamps in the well house, we secure “HEAT TAPE” with zip ties to well water pipes. They are then connected to power with the same thermostatic receptacle you use. Tim in northern TN
you might also need plant row covers, bush and trees covers for more sensitive plants not handling freeze temps to well, extra straw in the hoop coops so birds body heat stays in the straw to keep them warmer longer, Vaseline or bag balm for your lips and hands and feet in the winter , 3 sided wind break buildings would also help your cattle in the coldest part of winter to get out of the winds more for better health, protection for your bee hives as well especially form winter winds. change over to the thinner oils in your trucks and tractors for winter use. I pray this helps some.
Weather has changed all over the map. My dad grew up near Ava, many frigid days. Lots of snow Dec thru April. They milked for a local dairy (dad hand-milked his 14, grampa used a machine to do 15-16) & raised broilers on a government contract. Their well house was a building over the hole with the pump. When I farmed we had a fake outhouse over the well hole, we pumped to the summer kitchen (cellar) with water softener & 4 filters (Indiana water has lots of iron). If I had stayed there we would have had solar. My ex no longer farms, gets $$ for the corn on the place
ATTN: heat lamp bulbs will break if it's cold in there when they come on, believe me we have been thru this, get yourself a regular 100 watt outdoor bulb they don't break and are waaay more reliable. Plus way more insulation in your well house will help also. Stock tank heaters are the best for larger animals and I use a heated dog bowl for our chickens.
We just use the pipe insulation and leave an incandescent lamp on all winter. It may get colder where you are. We get into the 20s. The coldest was -10 (then we had a sink break off the wall).
JudithB I just drain my hose after disconnecting it from the frost hydrant. In the fall the mice want to be in the house, so setting traps. My truck was invaded by packrats while parked by the barn this fall, and the cost to replace the chewed wires is $691. Irk!!! I just put out bait under the house and in the barn. Yes plenty of cats around but apparently not doing their jobs well.
the only thing I would add to the winter prep list is waterproof gloves and to check your muck boots to make sure they are still waterproof. Nothing worse than frozen fingers or feet 5 minutes into chores.
Oh, I loved our thermocubes back in NW Arkansas just south of you! They are awesome. I have a small recommendation I changed back before the big freeze winter of 2008/09. Add a very small extremely low power fan to circulate air in there. I used the guts of an old computer for it. It saved our pump house when 2 neighbors lost all their PVC due to freezing with similar setups and no fan. I love your list! Great video!
Good post❤ Clean straw bedding for your cow and her new calf (and other livestock) to curl up in to stay warm. It was interesting to see your hoop hen house doesn’t appear insulated. 🤔
I have found that a small space electric oil heater is much cheaper than heat lamps. I am not sure if that is a good description, but it looks like a small radiator, filled with oil and heated by electric. Cheap purchase at big box stores. I use one in my utility room and my camper.
zwave system ... remote temperature sensor in the well house could help ... distance dependant! I have a Vera .. with alarm programmable to alarm if rabbits are too hot or sump too wet or well house too cold
It may depend on how insulated your well house is, but when we had the Arcitc temps here in Seymour, and all of MO, about 3 winters ago, my pipes bust using a heat lamp. I used to run just a heat lamp, but after that winter, I run a heater now. I actually run 2, in case one goes out, and they're both set for about 40 degrees. A well guy told me, that a heat lamp will Not produce enough heat, for a well house, in those "arctic" temps. I learned the hard way, but my daughter and I were able to fixed them. Also, those thermo jacks can go out, then your heat lamp won't turn on, and your well pipes and possibly your well pump will freeze up. Before the arctic temp winter, I looked out one night and realized that the light for the heat lamp wasn't on, in the well house. I went out to the well house and checked the lamp in the house, it was working. So, I went out and got the thermo outlet, and tried it in the house with the heat lamp. The heat lamp wouldn't come on, so it wasn't the heat lamp, but the thermo outlet. Needless to say, I Never use those thermo outlets any longer. If they go out on you, it can be an extremely expensive fix, if your pump freezes up. Good idea to have wood heat though, we've had electric go out here in Seymour, due to down power lines. We can cook on ours, and heat water, we were very blessed to find it and get a good deal on it. People in town were sadly freaking out, without power.
Those Thermo cubes, never had any luck with them... I've purchased many and not once did they succeed as turning on lights. There are thermostats for your heating units with a dial and a light to indicate if you have it on. The light switches colors if it is calling for heat.
On our family farm, we were fortunate that my grandparents were generational farmers. All preparation for winter was made in fall and mostly completed by Thanksgiving. During winter only the livestock needed to be cared for and we performed maintenance for all elements of husbandry in preparation for spring planting.
Just a tip: if you buy a lightweight expanding hose, don't drag is around after you. They are prone to springing leaks and cannot be fixed by cutting a section out like a conventional hose, and dragging them seems to cause more leaks. Best to coil it up and carry any slack around with you. I bought an expensive one thinking it would last longer than a cheap one and it still sprang a leak in 5 weeks.
I would have got a durastat for a greenhouse situation. They take damp well. I use them for many things around my barn. They can be wired for heat or cooling
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It wouldn't give me a comment box to type in so my apologies, I had to put my comment here. Last winter, my big boo boo was the first flush on my rain catchment. My friend Steve had built the rain catchment system, and on the first flush on the cap, he made the hole just a little bit too big and so I was losing too much water that wasn't making it into the tank. It being summer at the time, I ran a screw up into the hole to plug it. I just had to remember to unscrew the cap once in awhile and let the leaves and mud out. However I was not used to including it in my winter preparation schedule and forgot about it. Yep, it froze and broke. And the way he did it he had the connections too close together with no spacing between them so in order to fix it properly I have to take that whole thing apart which is substantially expensive for me on a disability income. So yeah if you've got any rain catchment or similar type systems that could fill and burst, I would make preparations to shut them down or make sure the drain holes are properly excavated, etc.
Did y'all figure out approx. how many days your refrigerator would run on one charge of this unit? (if it was the only thing you hooked onto it)
Wonderful idea. Expandable water hoses. Every winter I have to drag hoses out of the well which is down 8 feet and drag 300 ft to fill up my barrels in the house as my water line sprung a leak underground. Havent had enough money to get repaired yet. Also have to fill up horse and goats trough, chicken, and rabbit waterers, which are 100 ft. From pump house. I work 14 hour days 7 days on and off so need to have water taken care of for the week. I am 72 live alone and my woman's bones appreciate all the tricks to make winter easier. I use solar lights to light up my pathways, goat feeding area and barns for chickens rabbits and my walk in dog house. Bless you guys from my homestead in Canada where -15 is a warm day. Lol
At your age ,you need to downsize and get rid of all those critters. Time to use some common sense
I am sure it keeps her going. 78 here and doing similar, not dragging hoses to such a large extent but handling those 50 lb sacks of feed. I downsize a bit each year, raised beds to replace mowing, etc, etc. My kids know I am living my life and enjoying it. It all gives me a reason to get up each morning. I hope this dear soul is able to retire from her work real soon. She is a dynamo💕💕💕
@jenniferrevilla5298 Thank you. But I love my job and my homestead life. Everyone thinks I am much younger. Its not hard work if its fun. Once in a while I ask for assistance from the Lord and my guardian angel makes the chore much easier. Bless the Lord who watches over me and my animals. My job is Security so I go to work to rest my body. Lol
@@gramyhaze8195 Your idea of common sense is obviously different than mine. You do you and I will do me. Have a great day, no need to respond.
But in the summer you can't turn them on if rolled up...roll them out, if not where they were kinked they break... I've had many here in hot SE. Louisiana
A suggestion for the panels on the back side of the coops...install hurricane hardware. Then all you have to do is hang them on the installed bolts and attach with a wing nut. It becomes a one person job instead of needing someone to hold the panel while the other puts the screws in. It also keeps the screw holes from wallowing out on the wood frame from taking the screws in and out.
What is hurricane hardware? I looked that phrase up and saw basically bolts and nuts? I have a similar coop looking to winterize and I am a single woman manhandling the plywood.
Hey Kevin. You might want to harvest those Mullein leaves growing next to your well house before the cold weather. They can help a lot with nasty coughs!
I noticed those too.
Yes!
On the well house, why don't you drill a small hole in or above the door and cover it with a "red" glass lens then you can see if the headlamp is on .
We have a wood stove too. We collect water in jugs that would normally go down the drain while warming up the shower water. We use it to water plants, pets and to put in our cast iron steamer pot on the wood stove. This helps raise the humidity in the house because wood heat is very drying. It can also be used for emergency water in case of a power outage, which fortunately for us, is very rare. We love wood heat!
Question about Lodge Cast Iron. I put water in a pre-seasoned pot on top of our woodstove because I read this helps with humidity and the pot shouldn't rust. It did. First day. What the heck??
Strings of holiday lights. Wrap them around the pipes and the pump. How is Watson doing? Hope his foot/hoof is doing much better. Thanks for sharing. God bless and protect.
In their live, they said he's doing great
❄️ This last week 22 inches snow in 3 days but only got down about 25 degrees. Cows water didn't freeze just slush. Last night rain. Stay busy and safe❤from eastern Colorado
So I’m from Montana and we have to Heat Tape all our pipes !! You might consider that …….and put a thermal wrap around the tank !!
And at 50 below we even put styrophome around the livstock water tank and on the top with a hole to drink from …..sometimes the tank heater needs “help” 😊😊
Thanks for showing us around with your seasonal preparation.
Good ☕️☕️ Morning Kevin & Sarah.❤
Make sure your vehicles are winter ready. You don't want a dead battery in an emergency situation! I keep my snow shovel right outside the door, I've too often been out shoveling in a storm to make sure I'm not going to be blocked in 😊 check your insulated clothes to make sure they fit and are in good repair. I'm so thankful that my electric has never gone out in the winter here. 😊
A couple years ago, We changed over to those slinky hoses for our horses, and chickens. We are in Iowa, winters can be brutal. These hoses are a game changer for us! We've pulled and drained the old rubber hoses for so many many years, battling ice and wind chill. We are thrilled and thankful for these new type of hoses. 100% recommend.
@@HorseyGal4ever is there a specific brand that is best?
@@SpeakTruthBeKind I'll check, and get back to you soon.
What a clever way to manage the heat lamps!!❤
Thanks for the great tips! I live in Missouri too and our weather is always confused lol…. You have to be ready for anything 😅
Sarah!!! The crinkle hose is BRILLIANT!! Thanks!
Hello Sarah and Kevin! Your years of experience have stood you in good stead. Be prepared is an excellent rule! 💞💞
Those retractable hoses are the best! I’m old, so I remember when they first came out. I bought two for my elderly Mom so she could continue to garden and quit tripping or being pulled to the ground with the standard hose. The standard hose was way too heavy for her. The retractable hose worked like a charm, but didn’t last a season. They’re made much, much better today! She’s since past away, but as a older women myself, I have them, and love them
I have a big ol standard hose and I am short, so I may be getting a lighter, expandable one for next season!
My stretchy hose didn’t even last a season. They are very fragile. I’m sick of disposable crap that’s made today. Quality matters.
@@cbass2755 I’m interested in knowing the Brand you purchased as I’d like to purchase the best made ones.
I love those hoses. A big plus is the weight. So much easier to maneuver.
Yes it’s good to be prepared physically as well as spiritually.Thanks for sharing,keep warm.🌺🌺
I always forget to put away the tools that are left out. once the snow comes you cannot find it until springtime and there's always early springtime chores that you need those tools for. Put your tools away early!!!!
So glad you have things ready for the Winter. Thankfully we really don’t get much of a freeze. We protect all our faucets with guards so we don’t have to worry. We can leave the water on for the garden as it doesn’t really get cold enough to freeze down to the water depth. Stay safe and healthy and sending you Hearts and flowers for you both. ❤️💐
I agree with Nancy Brooks. Here in NY State heat tape is a must, as well as thermal wrap.
Stay warm and God bless you. ❤
I love that you have ample hay storage. So jealous
Hello , we have the same kind of winter in KY, I love having water heated containers for our hens, i just keep it filled each week. Take Care !
Our well house is below ground. We installed a 6ft culvert at 8ft tall and put an insulated lid. Stays plenty warm even down to -25°f. Looks like you guys are all set. Our frost free hydrants always used to freeze in the winter so i now use metal trash cans that i have sprayed foamed inside and put over our frost free hydrants over the winter. Never freezes now.
Wow, great advice! Thank you for sharing.❤
🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂😂🤣🤣😂I had to laugh when one of the polish chickens jumped over the ducks back! @12:18 Looked like it was using the duck as a spring board, 🤣🤣😂🤣😂. Did anybody else see that?? Love all of the tips you gave for prepping for winter, I think I am ready. God Bless!!
Yeah. Caught my eye too!
FYI, they make drinking water rated expanding hoses for RVers. The regular ones leach some pretty nasty chemicals.
My husband got fed up with the foam insulation for water pipes. 😀 He used faced insulation for the pipes. He wrapped them a few times snuggly and secured them. No frozen water pipes. It may be unconventional, but it worked great. We had a really cold (-20) winter. Thank you, Jesus, for what works really well.
Pool noodles work as well I think
RADIANT BARRIER IS THE BEST TO INSULATE PIPES
I was wondering why he didn’t just wrap the pipes, too.
I like to have bags of leaves ready for bedding in my coops and the full bags can also be used as wind breaks depending on how your coops are situated. 🙂
Oh an expandable hose. I never thought of that. Thanks.
I just saw Homesteading Family where Carolyn talks about freeze dried food and how to protect it in jars vacuumed sealed. At the end she did a demo on how to use the freeze drier itself to vacuum seal many jars at once in the freeze drier by removing the tray. Worth checking it out
I love seeing your cows in the background!
We’re just finishing up reinstalling our wood stove. Hope our nice Tennessee weather lasts until we finish😊
Thank you for sharing this with us! Blessings 🙏🏻💞
Great video Wonter will come sooner or later, hope,hope!❤
Yes!!! Power is essential! I spent 10 days without power in the last terrible ice storm in Urbana MO. Wood or gas, not electric heat!! It was miserable. Im putting a masonry furnace in my new home!
Thanks Sarah and Kevin for the great video on being ready for winter around there. Stay safe and keep up the great work and fun you both share around there. Fred.
Could you wrap the exposed PVC pipes. I also use the expandable hoses. Nice not to have to worry about frozen hoses.
Clean the wood stove and flu pipe. Thanks for all your videos. Tom, Grants Pass Oregon.
No one likes Oregon.
Good Morning! Good advice! Those polish chickens look hilarious. Love there hair
Got to our property here in MO the day the worst storm since 2017 hit. Three days of high wind, torrential rain, flood warnings & tornados all while living in a tent. Good times! 😂😅
Expandable water hose 🤯 thought I’d never buy one thinking they were gimmicky garbage. Credit to Beth and you for sharing with us definitely took away the hose headache of winter Thank you
As pipes age replace with pex.
Thermostatic controled heat tape for well house.
You should consider an adjustable thermostat and running two bulbs simultaneously. The thermostat would keep things at the temperature you set it for while the second bulb simultaneously makes sure that one broken bulb doesn't goof things up. That's what we do for our chicken coop. 😁👍
I just watched the 2 cranberry videos again. Thanks. Idea. I use cream of tarter in my canning water-nice clean jars without the corrosiveness of vinegar. Bonus is the canner is brighter too
You could use your propagation mats in the well house. Wrap one or two around tank. Lay mats over Pipes. Place large tarp over items in pump shed to make tent effect to reduce area mats would have to heat.
Love the hose in a bucket. Going to add that to the winter routine. 😊
We are in michigan, our well house is insulated and we have an oil filled radiator heater. It's filled with vegetable oil, and it has a thermostat.
dont forget about your tractor tune up, winterized, and chains if you have them or use them
We have a "well pit" rather than a well house. I always had problems with the heat lamp bulbs breaking, so we started using a workshop drop light with a 100 watt bulb. That bulb is starting on its 3rd winter rather than 3 of the others per winter.
Always good to be ready for winter temps and storms. They can sneak up on us in a hurry. Thanks for all the reminders.
I love this video with your “how-to’s”. We are considering some future plans re “what to do if something happens to one of us & the other is alone”…
I use a extra-long heat tape in our pump House it doesn't blow or quit like bulbs do.
"The Starks are always right. Winter is coming."
That’s awesome 👍🏽 I’m in California and it’s not as cold as where your homestead is but, we have to be ready 👍🏽 thank you for sharing I’m going to start getting ready too 🤭
Love the hose tip. It's my biggest issue in winter.
Funny to see the water level in Babe’s stock tank. You can really tell the pitch of the land there at the barn.
❤Hoses - one was left out to easily provide water to barn animals, but frost today let us know it’s next on the list to put away so rolling them up tomorrow (when it’s warmer) putting us back to hauling buckets from inside to them once a day. Also have a shut off valve in the hose for the hose water pipes going outside. Plumber put it in after a bad leak in the winter exploded and worth every penny! Think insulation board inside buildings then cover with 1/4 much board for added protection. I’ve been know to go into the barn when doing outside chores rather than the house cause it’s warm & dry for animals without heating elements. NJ
We put a propane heater like what you would put in a garage. Usually its just the pilot light burning but when it deops down in temp it comes on automatically so you don’t have to working about checking the bulbs or the power going out. No worries!
If you have a crawl space under your home, be sure to adjust the vents on the foundation to the winter position.
That thermo cube seems like a great item. I'm gonna have to get some of those. Thanks for all the good tips. 👍🏻
We always called that a pump house. In South Carolina, I have seen one insulated but it is a good idea. Ours was just wooden board construction.
Good information thanks for sharing. I'm definitely not a winter person so want to be ready when the weather turns cold. Stay safe and warm
We just had to finally turn the furnace on full time yesterday 11-12 so was thankful it stayed as warm as it had been because it helps on our LP gas bill.
You should put a blink camera in the well house incase that thing malfunctions.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us
winterizing the summer yard equipment, and prepping the generator (gas, in our case) and the snowblower.
I hope your winter is a mild one and spring weather arrives early. That’s always been a hope of mine living in Wisconsin. Now we spend the winter in Texas.
Right now I'm taking a break from splitting firewood so sitting down for a bit to watch! Can't wait too long, as rain is moving in this afternoon. Thanks for all the reminders. 😊 Texas Deb ❤️
I have 2 expandable hoses - love tnem! Also have a small 30 gallon insulated water tank with water & a heat lamp in my small greenhouse to keep watering plants inside for the winter.
In addition to heat lamps in the well house, we secure “HEAT TAPE” with zip ties to well water pipes. They are then connected to power with the same thermostatic receptacle you use. Tim in northern TN
you might also need plant row covers, bush and trees covers for more sensitive plants not handling freeze temps to well, extra straw in the hoop coops so birds body heat stays in the straw to keep them warmer longer, Vaseline or bag balm for your lips and hands and feet in the winter , 3 sided wind break buildings would also help your cattle in the coldest part of winter to get out of the winds more for better health, protection for your bee hives as well especially form winter winds. change over to the thinner oils in your trucks and tractors for winter use. I pray this helps some.
How did your medical tests turn out?
Weather has changed all over the map. My dad grew up near Ava, many frigid days. Lots of snow Dec thru April. They milked for a local dairy (dad hand-milked his 14, grampa used a machine to do 15-16) & raised broilers on a government contract.
Their well house was a building over the hole with the pump.
When I farmed we had a fake outhouse over the well hole, we pumped to the summer kitchen (cellar) with water softener & 4 filters (Indiana water has lots of iron). If I had stayed there we would have had solar. My ex no longer farms, gets $$ for the corn on the place
Good luck with your thermo-cube. Mine did not work after a couple of weeks. Good Luck!
ATTN: heat lamp bulbs will break if it's cold in there when they come on, believe me we have been thru this, get yourself a regular 100 watt outdoor bulb they don't break and are waaay more reliable. Plus way more insulation in your well house will help also. Stock tank heaters are the best for larger animals and I use a heated dog bowl for our chickens.
I am not ready for winter and it finally got cold 0:56 here in ENC today! Loved the video!
We just use the pipe insulation and leave an incandescent lamp on all winter. It may get colder where you are. We get into the 20s. The coldest was -10 (then we had a sink break off the wall).
We may have some snow here in Central Kentucky next weekend from what the weather report was yesterday. I'm getting ready also!
🔥🧹Don't forget to get your chimneys swept and cleaned BEFORE wood burning season.
Insulating some outside pipes, putting on a hose bib on the house, and stopping the flow of water that runs from inside out house to the hoses outside
Yep, we are going to overnight temperatures in the 30 degrees or below Thursday and in the 20s next Wednesday.
Great video!
JudithB I just drain my hose after disconnecting it from the frost hydrant. In the fall the mice want to be in the house, so setting traps. My truck was invaded by packrats while parked by the barn this fall, and the cost to replace the chewed wires is $691. Irk!!! I just put out bait under the house and in the barn. Yes plenty of cats around but apparently not doing their jobs well.
the only thing I would add to the winter prep list is waterproof gloves and to check your muck boots to make sure they are still waterproof. Nothing worse than frozen fingers or feet 5 minutes into chores.
Oh, I loved our thermocubes back in NW Arkansas just south of you! They are awesome. I have a small recommendation I changed back before the big freeze winter of 2008/09. Add a very small extremely low power fan to circulate air in there. I used the guts of an old computer for it. It saved our pump house when 2 neighbors lost all their PVC due to freezing with similar setups and no fan. I love your list! Great video!
Good post❤ Clean straw bedding for your cow and her new calf (and other livestock) to curl up in to stay warm. It was interesting to see your hoop hen house doesn’t appear insulated. 🤔
I was just saying THE WELLHOUSE!! Keep that lamp on!
I have found that a small space electric oil heater is much cheaper than heat lamps. I am not sure if that is a good description, but it looks like a small radiator, filled with oil and heated by electric. Cheap purchase at big box stores. I use one in my utility room and my camper.
We got snow last night, still snow on the ground for my birthday, I turn 61 today
Happy Birthday to you❣️ My granddaughters birthday too 😊
🎉 Happy Birthday 🎉
Happy Birthday
zwave system ... remote temperature sensor in the well house could help ... distance dependant! I have a Vera .. with alarm programmable to alarm if rabbits are too hot or sump too wet or well house too cold
It may depend on how insulated your well house is, but when we had the Arcitc temps here in Seymour, and all of MO, about 3 winters ago, my pipes bust using a heat lamp. I used to run just a heat lamp, but after that winter, I run a heater now. I actually run 2, in case one goes out, and they're both set for about 40 degrees. A well guy told me, that a heat lamp will Not produce enough heat, for a well house, in those "arctic" temps. I learned the hard way, but my daughter and I were able to fixed them. Also, those thermo jacks can go out, then your heat lamp won't turn on, and your well pipes and possibly your well pump will freeze up. Before the arctic temp winter, I looked out one night and realized that the light for the heat lamp wasn't on, in the well house. I went out to the well house and checked the lamp in the house, it was working. So, I went out and got the thermo outlet, and tried it in the house with the heat lamp. The heat lamp wouldn't come on, so it wasn't the heat lamp, but the thermo outlet. Needless to say, I Never use those thermo outlets any longer. If they go out on you, it can be an extremely expensive fix, if your pump freezes up. Good idea to have wood heat though, we've had electric go out here in Seymour, due to down power lines. We can cook on ours, and heat water, we were very blessed to find it and get a good deal on it. People in town were sadly freaking out, without power.
Those Thermo cubes, never had any luck with them... I've purchased many and not once did they succeed as turning on lights. There are thermostats for your heating units with a dial and a light to indicate if you have it on. The light switches colors if it is calling for heat.
On our family farm, we were fortunate that my grandparents were generational farmers. All preparation for winter was made in fall and mostly completed by Thanksgiving. During winter only the livestock needed to be cared for and we performed maintenance for all elements of husbandry in preparation for spring planting.
Just a tip: if you buy a lightweight expanding hose, don't drag is around after you. They are prone to springing leaks and cannot be fixed by cutting a section out like a conventional hose, and dragging them seems to cause more leaks. Best to coil it up and carry any slack around with you. I bought an expensive one thinking it would last longer than a cheap one and it still sprang a leak in 5 weeks.
Wow look at that Mullen by your well house ❤️
I would have got a durastat for a greenhouse situation. They take damp well. I use them for many things around my barn. They can be wired for heat or cooling
Just started my first wood stove fire this morning. Just to tack chill off. And check if anything is working good. I’m in central Indiana
How do you winterize the rabbitry?