No Farm Sitter Needed- How to Automate Your Homestead

Want to leave the homestead for a few days without hiring a farm sitter? In this video, we walk through the simple automation systems we use to keep our larger animals, laying hens, and meat birds fed, watered, and monitored while we are away. From float valves and barrel waterers to PVC elbow feeders, Orbit hose timers, and solar-powered Ring cameras, these are practical setups that make short trips much less stressful.

What we learned

This project is the kind of thing we started documenting because homesteading advice can get weirdly polished online. Real life has kids leaving gates open, water freezing at the worst possible moment, animals discovering the one weak spot in the fence, and adults realizing they should have measured twice before buying once.

The big takeaway from this video: build the system so normal people can keep using it when everyone is tired. If a chore only works when the most motivated adult remembers every step, it is not a system yet. It is a wish wearing boots.

Gear and supplies mentioned

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• Automatic livestock water float valve
• Galvanized metal feed/water pan
• Chicken/poultry water nipples
• 40-55 gallon plastic drum/barrel
• 4-inch 90-degree PVC elbows
• Automatic chicken watering cups
• 5-gallon bucket
• Orbit hose faucet timer
• Large hanging poultry feeder
• Poultry feed pans
• Ring Stick Up Cam Solar
• Ring solar panel for camera

Field notes summary

• The video answers a common question: how can a family leave the homestead without everything falling apart?
• Automatic waterers, timers, cameras, bulk feeders, and simple livestock systems reduce the daily burden.
• The best automation is not fancy for its own sake; it removes fragile chores and makes backup care easier.
• A well-designed system gives the family more freedom while still keeping animals safe and cared for.

Blog tags

homestead automation, farm systems, livestock water, poultry setup, vacation planning