Cold Weather Techniques

There are different techniques to get through the cold weather.  Above Rocky is demonstrating the “stay in the house on the couch” technique.

But if you have to go outside, the most important thing is to stay warm.  So Tom and I put on wool.  Wool sweaters, socks and hats.  Then there’s the thick Carhartt coats and boots.  But the hands are critical.  If they get cold, all chores fail.  So here’s different hand warming options:

The next challenge is frozen water.  There are  different options for breaking this ice, depending on how thick it is.  There’s the stomp option,

the broken pitchfork handle possibility,

the post pounder tool,

and finally the throw the container upside down, jump up and down on it, drain and refill it technique.

This last one only works with the rubber containers and if there’s a way to refill it.  Which brings me to the next issue, obtaining more water.  We have freeze-proof faucets which naturally freeze each year so now we have warming tape surrounded by insulation which the animals nibble on.

We do not have any hoses though.  We did not get the hoses emptied in time for this early freeze.  So it will be buckets until we can thaw out again.

Old skinny animals get warm water bucketed from the house regardless.  Clara was the goat I thought was going to die with this cold weather.  She’s still hanging in there, with her separate warmer pen, wool sweater, warm water, extra grain and lots of hay for her rumen.