Shelter for your animals is essential all year round. It isn’t just a requirement when it is wet and cold. In the summer it’s an important way in which you can provide some shelter from the heat as well.
As the weather starts to get warmer it’s time to take stock and undertake all of those tasks that will help you to prepare your animal stables for the summer. Read on as we look at the steps you need to consider before the weather gets too hot.
Deep clean
The first job that you should undertake is a thorough deep clean of your animal stables. This is not only important for the health of the animals that use the stables but also for safety reasons. If your stable has lots of cobwebs and there is old hay, then this may be a fire hazard. It could also cause respiratory issues in any horses that are susceptible.
In addition to ensuring that you remove all the cobwebs, you will need to sweep out all of the boxes and make sure that old shavings and straw are removed fully. Any rubber matting that you have in your stables should also be removed, cleaned thoroughly and allowed to dry fully.
Once you have removed all of the loose debris, you should wash the stables out, not forgetting the windows. This task can be done with a power washer.
You should also deep clean your feed room. Remove everything, clean the room itself, and allow it to dry. Before putting anything back, check for out of date feed and dispose of this. Also check for damaged feed bins and replace any that are cracked as this may attract rodents. Now is a good time to consider your hay supply. If it is running low then it is worth placing an order and stocking up so that you will be ready for the winter.
Fly control
The summer months can mean more flies so fly control should form an essential part of your summer stable preparation. Swarms of biting flies can cause particular discomfort to your animals, so take this opportunity to wash any fly sheets and masks and also stock up on any appropriate fly repellent sprays and wipes that you may use.
Check that you do not have any leaking taps or areas of standing water in your stables as these water sources can become breeding ground for things like mosquitos.
The muck heap
It is important to ensure that your muck heap is kept well away from your stables as this offers a feeding opportunity for flies, and the closer they are to your stable, the more likely you are to find them inside as well. During the summer, it is particularly important to be more proactive about removing dropping from the boxes to further reduce the opportunities for flies.
Clean dirty equipment
Finally, from blankets to tack, summer is a good time to do a full clean of all your stable equipment ready for the next winter ahead.
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