Storm Prepping Checklist
Have you ever wondered what a farmer or homesteader has to do to prepare for a snow storm? We aren’t standing in line at the grocery store to clear out the bread and milk. Most homesteaders live away from the city so we are stocked on food most of the time. So, storm prepping for a is a little different for us.
We are expecting up to a foot of snow this weekend. Here’s a list of things we had to do when storm prepping:
- Make sure water heaters are working for all livestock.
- Fill all water tanks/containers to the top.
- Drain all water hoses, disconnect and store them.
- Muck out the barn and coop. Make sure the animals have a clean dry area to get out of the weather.
- Fill hay feeders both outside and inside the barn. Livestock eat more when they are cold to keep their body warm.
- Plug in a heat lamp for the chickens and make sure their feeder is full.
- Bring pets inside and make sure they have food/water. Our barn cat currently has a cold. He is residing in the garage so we can keep a close eye on him.
- Have enough food, water and toilet paper in the house. This is usually the least of a homesteaders problems because we store food all year-long. I store clean water in my empty mason jars. We have lost water in my area so storing some drinking water is always a good idea. Filling the tub with water is also a good idea to be able to flush toilets, etc. We buy toilet paper in bulk from Amazon. It’s great to have it delivered to your door. haha!
- Get ready to stay warm without electric. We have a backup generator so we have to make sure we have enough propane and the generator has been maintained.
- Make a pot of soup that can be heated easily if the electric goes out. I made some homestead chili.
- Clean the laundry and dishes. Believe me, I’ll be glad I did if the electric is off for a while. Although we have a backup heat source we try to conserve the propane. So we don’t run things like a dishwasher, stove or washer during a power outage.
- Dig out those overalls, warm gloves, hats and boots. We will need them to check on the animals.
- Check the batteries for flashlights.
- Make sure we have enough gas for the tractor and put some chains on the tires if needed.
- Don’t forget to charge the cell phone and electrical devices.
- Sit back, watch the snow and stay warm! Oh, and make some snow ice cream. YUM!
My Amazon picks for this post:
Learn More
If you are interested, make sure to check out the Homesteaders section on Amazon. Here, you can find books and guides on how to easily homestead and tips on how to do it better.