Overview → Run

Running the Farm

The steady-state rhythm once animals are on the ground — day, week, month, season. Scaled for 1–2 people. Full source in docs/07-operations.md.

01 The rhythm

This is what running the farm looks like after the build-out (CP7 done). The whole design — cows + chickens only, fixed paddocks, share-milking — exists to keep this list short.

Rule of thumb: ~1–1.5 hr/day of chores in the easy seasons; more on move days, calving, processing, and harvest peaks.

02 Daily & weekly

Daily — morning

~45 min
  • Milk the cow — one share-milk; strain, chill, clean gear (skip when dry).
  • Let out hens, collect early eggs, top up feed + water.
  • Water check — every trough/hydrant flowing (the #1 summer must).
  • Herd walk — count head; scan for limping, scours, bloat, heat stress.
  • Meat birds (when batched) — feed, water, move the tractor to fresh grass.

Daily — evening

~30 min
  • Collect eggs, feed/water hens, close the coop against predators.
  • Re-check water in heat; kitchen-garden harvest for dinner.
  • Scraps to the chickens.
  • Move-day (~every 5 days): open the next cell / set polywire, confirm the charger is hot.

Weekly

~2–3 hr
  • Move the mobile coop ~3 days behind the cattle (≈ 2×/wk).
  • Pasture walk — assess regrowth, plan moves, stay ahead of seedhead.
  • Garden — weed, succession-sow, harvest, scout pests.
  • Minerals/salt top-up; compost turn/add.
  • Fence + charger voltage check; clear shorts.
  • Equipment — fuel, grease, quick-check the tractor.
  • Farm stand (if selling) — restock + signage.

Monthly

~half a day
  • Herd health — hooves/condition, fly control, deworm decision (FAMACHA/fecal); note breeding dates.
  • Full perimeter walk + test charger ground rods.
  • Water system — tanks, first-flush/filters, pump pressure, gutters.
  • Greenhouse clean + venting; tree cages/mulch/drip.
  • Inventory feed/hay/supplies — reorder early.
  • Records — log yields + budget check; bees (in season).

03 Seasonal

Spring · Mar–May

  • Calving window; rebreed ~60–90 days after (AI / borrowed bull).
  • Start grazing rotation (~Apr); clip or custom-bale the spring surplus.
  • Plant warm-season garden after last frost (~Apr 1).
  • Meat-bird batch #1; thin fruit, watch pests.

Summer · Jun–Aug

  • Heat management — shade + water for cattle and hens.
  • Fast grazing moves; bank stockpiled forage.
  • Peak harvest + preserve; start fall-garden transplants (Jul–Aug).
  • Fly control at its peak.

Fall · Sep–Nov

  • Plant fall garden, garlic, cover crops (Sep–Oct).
  • Meat-bird batch #2; beef harvest — the year's calf to the butcher.
  • Preg-check the cow; stockpile forage; place bare-root order.
  • Winterize water — frost-free hydrants, drain hoses.

Winter · Dec–Feb

  • Confine to sacrifice paddock, feed hay; rest the others.
  • Bare-root planting (Jan–Feb) — trees, blackberry/grape, asparagus.
  • Dormant prune fruit trees; equipment maintenance.
  • Plan next year — order seeds/chicks; ag-valuation renewal.

04 Annual anchors & the two-person split

Don't let these slip

  • 1 calf/year — bred yearly, raised ~18–24 mo on grass, processed each fall.
  • 2 meat-bird batches/year (~25–50 birds each).
  • Hay plan — stockpile + custom-bale on shares; buy the Nov–Mar gap.
  • Property tax / 1-d-1 ag valuation filing; insurance review.
  • Soil + well-water tests periodically.

Two-person split

  • Person A — animals: milking, herd moves, poultry, water, health, processing.
  • Person B — plants: garden, orchard/berries, greenhouse, preserving, stand.
  • Shared: fencing, water system, equipment, and the big days — calving, hay, processing, planting weekends.