# Animal chores



## kstaven (Sep 5, 2011)

Just out of curiosity: Is it the man or woman of the house that takes care of the animal chores or is it shared?

Around here it is the man of the house because the wife deals with day to day business and some other dairy related jobs.


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## terrilhb (Sep 5, 2011)

Here I the woman do most of the daily chores. But I stay at home and my husband works.


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## Ms. Research (Sep 5, 2011)

Shared.   Always did.


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## Squirrelgirl88 (Sep 5, 2011)

I would say shared. I feed, water etc, but DH installed two rolls of goat fence, dozens of poles, four gates, and turned half of his blacksmith shop into a barn with stalls. All because I saw two baby goats that I had to have. I financed this little fiasco, but he did all the heavy lifting. 

That being said, I am the one that goes out before 7 and let everyone out of the barn, fights the rooster, and cleans up the chicken poop. I'm sure, I will also be the one to take over the milking duties next spring when we breed our girls for the first time. So may it's 60/40 shared.


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## dianneS (Sep 5, 2011)

Animal chores are all done by the woman of the house, with the exception of fence repairs and such, that is shared.  Daily care, feeding watering, medicating, grooming etc all done by the lady of the house.

Things may have to change though.  I now have a job outside the home and if I can't manage all the chorse on my own DH will have to pitch in!


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## marlowmanor (Sep 5, 2011)

Chore responsibility is shared. Some things I do more of like bottle feeding BlackJack, but DH pitches in with that too sometimes. When it comes to projects around the property, DH does more on that. I help with what I can on projects, but someone has to watch the kids so projects can be completed, and that tends to be my job.


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## Goatherd (Sep 5, 2011)

When you're one person "sharing" is not an option.  I do it all or it doesn't get done.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Sep 5, 2011)

shared.. but i do more i think - especially since i have evening chores alone now which is different from most of this summer.

once they get to a certain size, i dont like to feed the pigs and refuse to get into the yard with them. but i do midday chores with them (water, midday meal if its something i can toss over the fence for them). 

and there are some things i cant do - some heavy lifting and chainsawing. my husband is a foot taller and has about 100lbs on me so its just easier for him to do jobs. but its harder for him to milk to goats..... and i'm a better carpenter so i do the building. but he's better with fencing. so its more about who's most able to do which chores than anything else.


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## aggieterpkatie (Sep 5, 2011)

The normal day to day feeding, cleaning, medicating, etc is all done by me (the woman).  The animals are my thing, and DH doesn't really enjoy doing much with them.  He will occasionally go out and bring the goats treats, and I caught him feeding a turkey a piece of bread the other day.    If there's a big chore I can't do myself (for example, building a chicken coop, putting up fence, etc) he'll help, but I usually do all that I can on my own before having to call him for help.  He'll usually help me go load hay (if it's a big load) but I usually unload it myself.


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## redtailgal (Sep 5, 2011)

c


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## elevan (Sep 5, 2011)

I (woman) do probably 75% of the chores because DH works.  But on his days off DH helps a lot.  My youngest DS is also a big helper.


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## goodhors (Sep 5, 2011)

Shared.  Never is 50/50, because of what each person does outside of chore stuff.  

We cover for each other as needed, with each of us doing at least 60% much of the time.
Kids did the horse stalls daily unless there was some function they had to attend, then a parent covered.  Last kid 
leaves for school in March, so I will probably do most of the stall cleaning after that.  Have actually been
doing stalls since April after her shoulder surgery and therapy time, but she is back on the job now.  Of course with my 
NEW TO US Kabota Tractor, I expect things to be easier than stalls in the past.  Love the front end loader!!!

We both take turns feeding and turning horses and calf out or bringing them in.  He does it if I have a meeting, on most
weekend mornings so I can sleep in.  I am more available now than he is, so most of the chores are mine.  We
share the horses, so not much of a "your horse" thing going.  I am more picky, so I do the checking up on things, 
clean tanks and buckets, rotate fields, walk fences.  He  keeps the machinery working smoothly so I can just go to work,
does maintenance stuff with kid or my help if needed.  I spread manure most times, mow, drag and fertilize, he 
moves dirt, we both plow snow.  He works a lot of hours, hard labor, so he needs to rest a bit when he gets home!

He did a lot of covering for me when kids were smaller and I worked putting in 10 or 12 hours a day.  As 
I said, things are never 50/50 in a working partnership.  Each partner gives at least 60% to 70% keeping
things going smoothly.  You take turns on "who works hardest" as circumstances change.


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## Livinwright Farm (Sep 5, 2011)

Here, it is primarily myself(a woman) who does the barn/livestock/poultry chores. My father does the majority of the logging/landscaping/construction chores. And my mother does the majority of the household chores.


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## SuburbanFarmChic (Sep 5, 2011)

The farm is my thing. He likes the idea of it and is supportive and if I need something schlepped from one end to the other or I have to go pick up a big load of feed or hay he'll come be a second set of hands but it's my project so it's my job.   I think sometimes he'd prefer if I had a monster huge garden and just stuck to hunting but I like raising animals and if we're not going to have kids I get to baby SOMETHING and tomatoes just don't cut it.


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## fortheloveofgoats (Sep 7, 2011)

I do all of it. I pick up the dog poo. He does bring home their heart, tongue, and liver though. (he is a butcher) I am the one that cuts it up, simmers it, and puts it into the containers for the week. I bathe and brush them too. I feed the goats, fix anything that needs fixing, and I give them the shots. I am the one that wants them though.


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## currycomb (Sep 7, 2011)

we share, sometimes he get more than his share  but on the days he works overtime (like tonight, i have the chores done) i mow the grass, and i am now mowing the horse pasture.(going to take FOREVER, doing it with a lawnmower  (tractor that pulls the brush hog has either a blown head gasket or a cracked head, so do not want to tax it too much. will use it when the mower can no longer get thru the stuff) he helps in the house, runs the vacumn, helps put laundry away, puts dishes away that are in the dishwasher. yep, he's a gem


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## manybirds (Sep 7, 2011)

woman. cant even get men to build animal houses. us girls do EVERYTHING. that includes fighting to get/keep every animal. men wont even pay for us to buy animal houses


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## SheepGirl (Sep 7, 2011)

I am a girl and I have responsibility for my flock of sheep and my neighbor's flock. He lets me keep my sheep at his farm for free if I take care of his. I think that's a good trade-off


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## 20kidsonhill (Sep 7, 2011)

I do all the daily chores.
 My husband is very very good at handling animals and no stranger to farming. He does most the building of feeders, fencing, pens ect...  I often assist. 

We do the treating, vaccinating, banding, hoof trimming, weaning together. Most the time.

I often get the grain and medications at the feed store, but we get the hay and straw together, unload and stack. Around 400 bales a year at this point. 

I am incharge of the marketing and most the sales, husband normally hands the phone over to me. 

We make decisions and go together to purchase new breeding stock.   


We work together during kidding time, taking turns checking on and watching the animals. If their is a problem we are both out there working together. There have been some long nights standing out in the barn during kidding season. 

My kids also help with some of the chores.


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## MrsDieselEngineer (Sep 12, 2011)

As my husband is out to sea for months at a time, I take care of the homestead.  But DH loves to help out when he is home.


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## jodief100 (Sep 12, 2011)

Hubby takes care of the big stuff, building fences, building pens, bushogging, etc.  I, for the most part take care of the day to day stuff.  He hauls water and helps catch animals when needed.  I have to do all the medical stuff.  Hubby is alergic to lots of the pharmacuticals we use so I can't risk him sticking himself with a needle like I seem to do regularly.


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## Roll farms (Sep 12, 2011)

I (female) do the majority of the daily chores, the feeding and clean up and such, from early spring until late fall, when DH gets layed off.
When that happens, I pick up more hours at work and we do chores together unless I'm gone.
When we do major chores (clean out pens, group hoof trims, etc) we do them together on mutual days off.  He does the heavy stuff, I open gates / hand him supplies / keep his cup full of cold sweet tea.

The rabbits are *supposed* to be ALL his, though - I didn't want them - but most days I'm filling their bottles and giving them their hay anyway.

He tills the garden, but that's about all he does as far as my gardens / beds...He does all the mowing, though...fair trade.

I clean house, but he runs the sweeper for me in winter when he's home.  That's one job I just despise.

I am the 'boss' of what gets done, when, and why.  He just comes along for the ride, bless his tolerant heart.


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## 77Herford (Sep 13, 2011)

I (Man), do a large majority of the livestock chores and all the crop duties (hay), and some Oats.  My wife works as a vet tech and does all the house chores and we both like to work in the garden.


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## daisychick (Sep 15, 2011)

In our household I ( the woman) do all the animal chores.  Why.....because I am the one who wanted all of them and I love taking care of them.  If it were up to him, I am not sure he would have any animals at all.  I run a family child care out of my home and I am "trapped"  inside for about 60 hours a week with work.  Going outside and doing my animal chores is like my therapy.  I love checking on all of them and feeding and watering.  My husband will help anytime I need it, but really I like to do it.   Fence building, or carpenter fix up stuff is all his job because I will totally mess it up.    Household chores are pretty much shared.


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