The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Techniques and skills => Topic started by: ScotsGirl on April 05, 2014, 09:04:43 am
-
I am interested to hear how couples or business partners with livestock and land manage the chores and various job roles (feeding, meds, paperwork, crops, field rotation, business plan etc) especially if one or both have 'proper' jobs as well.
Not sure if this is the right section to post but this seems to be a real issue in our house. It can be difficult to share and communicate the important stuff and know who is doing what.
-
Neither of us have a 'proper, job these days but there is a clear divide in the work.
OH does all the fencing, grass cutting and maintenance type chores. I feed the animals and muck out the chickens. He will do these things if asked and if I am ill but otherwise it's taken for granted that all animals will be fed and watered by me.
When it comes to lambing he isn't as squeamish as me so will usually deal with the mucky bits too or get his hand stuck in (if absolutely necessary). We also share getting up to look at pregnant ewes with the understanding that if anything is happening they other will be called too.
-
So does that mean you also take responsibility for paperwork, vaccinations, feed plans, shearing, foot trimming etc?
My OH gets miffed cos I do most of animal husbandry side and he doesn't think he knows what's happening but he struggles to keep up with field management jobs so if I was him I'd be glad to duck out of extra chores!
-
I tell Dan what to do and he does it. Works fine ;D
-
Yes, I do the paperwork, vaccinations and foot trimming are a joint effort. I hold and he jabs or he turns them over and I trim. As for shearing our neighbour does them but I arrange it.
Anything to do with feeding is my responsibility from getting the food at the agri merchants, and paying for it :( .
-
I do most of it! If OH is around he will help with the heavy work such as shifting hurdles or clearing brambles but otherwise I just get on with it. We both have part-time jobs, but fortunately I can usually arrange mine around smallholding duties.
-
For us, I do it all on the animal front, except giving meds and health checks, which I rope the OH in for as she's a doctor and I claim the skills are pretty transferable. We also have a few members who are keen to help more with the animals and they tend to come and help with pig loading or kidding/farrowing so I get a little bit of sleep!
On the crops, we have a 'planting team' on the farm which includes me and my wife and some of the members. We give everybody a rotation e.g. legumes or brassicas and they decide what needs growing and nag me if particular jobs need doing. I find that very helpful as with so much to do, it easy for some important but non-urgent jobs to get overlooked. To be honest, I'd find it impossible without our community - I have no idea how you lot manage with just one or two of you - I still had too much to do even with ten helpers here today!
-
An interesting one this ... and one which we are still working on having only been here a year. My OH works away a lot and has no farming background. I was livestock lecturer for 21 yrs.
I am the driving force as far as everything goes so far (too much knowledge can be a bad thing!!). I deal with daily animal stuff and paperwork. OH is a good pair of hands and can now handle the sheep proficiently for me to attack with needle etc! He has been here for lambing duty and had a go at tailing, stomach tubing and ear tagging.
OH is great on fencing, mending and inventing! We have a feeder made from old trampoline parts., and a harrow for the quad made from part of a tractor harrow with trampoline bits too. He can also now do the morning rounds for me to have an occasional lie in. I am hoping when the polytunnel goes up this year he will do a lot of the veg growing.
Be interesting to revisit this in 2 years time.
-
Another thing to consider is if the 'main' smallholder is incapacitated for any reason - the other is able to carry on alone or you have enough good neighbours, friends, family that can step in.