A new journey into homesteading "pic heavy"

[baymule]

We went to town yesterday, hunkered down for the rest of the week.

 

[CrealCritter]

We haven't left the farm since Monday Feb 8th. It was 0 this morning when I got up @ 7:00 AM. This is what's forecast for today. I'm going to wait untill this afternoon to run the chainsaw.

 

[Chic Rustler]

our chicken coup is holding 28°f and the water is still liquid. the birds seem pretty content so the heat lamps were worth it!

 

[Chic Rustler]

We haven't left the farm since Monday Feb 8th. It was 0 this morning when I got up @ 7:00 AM. This is what's forecast for today. I'm going to wait untill this afternoon to run the chainsaw.

View attachment 15471

any frozen pipes?

 

[CrealCritter]

any frozen pipes?

No... thankfully the house has a heated, insulated and finished basement. Water main comes into the basement about 4' deep. Basements in southern IL are rare... it was yet another reason for purchasing the farm.

With the 1/2 of ice we had earlier in the week several homes on our road lost power due to limbs falling and pulling out their overhead lines. If you remember the first thing I did was to bury all the overhead lines. We are the last pole on the line and haven't lost power during all this. We share a transformer with our neighbors farm across the road.

My wife and I discussed this morning. Before next fall we are making the wood stove in the cave a priority. The heat pump is keeping up and maintain 67F (64F ~68F) but barely. I don't like seeing the electric Aux Heat kick on. I've been insulating the exterior wall outlets best I can and it seems to help as cold air is pouring trough the outlet boxes.

It's just doggone cold 🥶 outside. Busting out the not used much serious gear, so I can go work outside this afternoon.

 

[Chic Rustler]

I let this guy out for a couple hours. he ran around most of the time but i caught him trying to sleep in the flower bed covered in snow wallago and put him back in the shed. he's a big whine bag. I've never seen a dog act claustrophobic but he appears to be. the shed is maintaining 28 so far and the chicken coup appears to be more like 36. heat lamps help alot! if they can keep it above 20°f tonight I'll be surprised

 

[Chic Rustler]

No... thankfully the house has a heated, insulated and finished basement. Water main comes into the basement about 4' deep. Basements in southern IL are rare... it was yet another reason for purchasing the farm.

With the 1/2 of ice we had earlier in the week several homes on our road lost power due to limbs falling and pulling out their overhead lines. If you remember the first thing I did was to bury all the overhead lines. We are the last pole on the line and haven't lost power during all this. We share a transformer with our neighbors farm across the road.

My wife and I discussed this morning. Before next fall we are making the wood stove in the cave a priority. The heat pump is keeping up and maintain 67F (64F ~68F) but barely. I don't like seeing the electric Aux Heat kick on. I've been insulating the exterior wall outlets best I can and it seems to help as cold air is pouring trough the outlet boxes.

It's just doggone cold 🥶 outside. Busting out the not used much serious gear, so I can go work outside this afternoon.
View attachment 15472

watch that heat pump. if it starts freezing up outside switch it to em heat

 

[baymule]

Snow hitting you yet? News just showed it a’ coming! Supposed to be here around 4. Going outside now to get started on chores.
News said ALL 254 Texas counties are under winter storm warning.

 

[Chic Rustler]

Snow hitting you yet? News just showed it a’ coming! Supposed to be here around 4. Going outside now to get started on chores.
News said ALL 254 Texas counties are under winter storm warning.

it's let up. looks like we got a couple inches. they say more should be coming tonight

 

[Rammy]

I let this guy out for a couple hours. he ran around most of the time but i caught him trying to sleep in the flower bed covered in snow wallago and put him back in the shed. he's a big whine bag. I've never seen a dog act claustrophobic but he appears to be. the shed is maintaining 28 so far and the chicken coup appears to be more like 36. heat lamps help alot! if they can keep it above 20°f tonight I'll be surprisedView attachment 15473

He is actually more comfortable outside than in a heated area. Pyranees are built and bred to withstand cold temperatures, as in the Pyranees mountains. Animals know better than us what they can or cant withstand. I dont use heatlamps for my criiters in the winter because its dangerous, due to accidental fires, and honestly, most animals dont need it.
Rabbits do better in cold weather than in the heat. Chickens have down in thier feathers and will "puff up" to hold thier body heat in.
I have yet to lose a chicken due to the cold. Mostly its from heat stroke. So far nothing that bad with the rabbits but I try to make sure to give them ice bottles when its really hot.
We are waiting on snow and ice this afternoon with snow and cold temps thru Tuesday. Hoping the power doesnt go out, but if it does, I have a generator.