How to Save Time Around the Barn

Man in working clothes feeding horse with hay at stable

If you own a barn full of livestock, you understand the amount of time and energy it takes to keep things in order. Whether filling buckets, cleaning stalls, or grooming your horses, there is always something that needs to be done. You can get to a point where you ask yourself, could I be doing things more efficiently?

Here are some timesaving tips to help you complete your barn chores faster without sacrificing safety and cleanliness!

Collect Rainwater

Many people neglect to take advantage of easily accessible natural resources. Rainwater can easily fill your troughs, and you don’t need a fancy system. If you have buildings with metal roofs, add a gutter and downspout directed to the water tank.

If you have horses in remote pastures with run-in sheds, you can add a storage tank to collect the water and a float valve to let it automatically fill the tank when the level drops. This tactic allows you to save time, so you don’t have to lug water or drag out hoses as often.

Practical Feeding Techniques

Instead of running back and forth from stall to feed bin, put all feeds and supplements into a large, wheeled cart with several compartments. With this system, you can roll down the aisleway, stopping at each stall to pass out rations. The process is made even more efficient by adding small, swing-out doors or other openings over the feed buckets.

Bringing in field-kept horses to eat their daily rations can be a huge timewaster. If you choose to feed in the field, you’ll need to ensure that each horse gets his fair share and that no feed is wasted. Feed tubs that latch onto fences are a good start; these conserve feed and prevent ingestion of soil or sand.

Maintenance Made Simple

Rather than push a broom for hours, invest in a quality vacuum and leaf blower. Use the blower for outdoor jobs only, such as cleaning driveways or gutters; indoors, a blower will stir up unhealthy dust. Instead, use a vacuum for aisles and rafters. A heavy-duty shop vacuum will do, but for efficient cleaning, try a model specifically designed for cleaning barns or industrial buildings.

As much as you may love the traditional look of wooden board fences, they take a lot of time to maintain. Installing synthetic fences made of PVC and other polymers is more costly in the short term, but you’ll save on maintenance and repair over time.

At Deer Creek Structures, we understand how time-consuming running a successful farm can be. That is why we design custom barns and sheds that meet the individual needs of our customers. Whether you need metal roofing or more built-in storage, we can provide your customization requests.

Give us a call at (254)546-2276 to find out how we can build you the most efficient barn structure to save time and reduce your stress!