Cold!

[Britesea]

Reading all this, I can't help but remember reading about 70 year old Agafia Lykov chopping through the river ice every morning to get water for herself, her animals, and the crippled old man that lives near her (she explained that he can't get the water because he has a wooden peg leg that makes walking on the ice treacherous). Her parents turned their backs on city life and disappeared into the forests of Siberia back in the 30's. They lived like the peasants of the 19th century. She was born there, and is the last living member of her family. As of May last year, she was still alive and kicking.

Count your blessings, people! lol

 

[FarmerJamie]

Not currently, but back in the day...

 

[Beekissed]

This winter can be a curse or a blessing, whichever way one wants to look at it. As a blessing, it can show one where there are gaps in their livestock systems that need filled before another such winter as this. As a curse, one can just see it as misery and not much else.

Back in the day we didn't have electricity and our water was carried from a spring that was a little distance from the house. We had to break ice each time and carry water to the house via buckets and milk jugs, then a couple of 5 gal. buckets another 200 yds to the pigs and chickens. That was the job of my sister and I before we went to school and again when we came home again...I was 10, she was 12. That was a cold business and you couldn't avoid getting your hands wet when dipping from a spring.

The pigs got water in their slop/feed, so we knew they were getting enough water with their food. We didn't try to give them extra water beyond that. Seemed to work...they ate it all before it froze and all the water was gone also.

The chickens seemed to get enough water before theirs froze up each day, so we didn't worry about them either. Water and feed twice a day and that was it.

Back in the day, folks would serve the livestock some warm gruel or mash when temps got this bad, so they got their water and feed in one meal. Seems like a good idea to me.

I feed wet feed to the chickens all winter long, so even though they have a heated dog bowl of water in the coop, they rarely take the levels down at all. I keep it from freezing by feeding it on the earthen floor in the middle of the coop, after I've raked back the DL there. Keeps it from freezing before they can eat it all...they get fed once a day in this manner and they seem to be getting all the feed~they are fat and sassy.

Lately I've been carrying hot water up there to pour over the dog's food, stir it up to make a gravy and feed it to them that way. I've noticed a lot less water use in their heated bucket since I started that, so I'll continue that for these really cold temps.

What a luxury those heated buckets and bowls are, though. Takes a lot of the work and worry about winter water out of the equation, so I highly recommend them. Used to have one for my sheep too. When the power goes out, they aren't much help, though, so feeding water and feed together can sometimes get the animals their daily water needs when water is hard to keep liquid.

 

[baymule]

Good post Bee. You bring out some good points. We have one more night of 25 degree cold, then it will bounce back up in the 30's with 40's in the day. Pity the east coast.....

 

[treerooted]

For me, while cold, it isn't a big change from all the other winters. It's just a longer spell of cold then usual, but the temperatures themselves are pretty normal. Last winter was unusually warm and presented a different set of issues.
I am sympathetic to those who aren't used to prolonged freezing temperatures and now have to deal with challenges that haven't come up before.
But I do also feel sorry for myself and the instant frostbite weather outside my door lol Nah, it's all good, and I'm looking forward to next week!

 

[Beekissed]

Same here. Winters used to be like this here when I was young, except with way more snow, so all these warm winters were kind of strange to us. Then to get real winter weather is like an old friend to me...still would like to see more snow, though. Good for the gardens.

I've had WAYYYYYY worse winters to deal with than this and the memory of them is still pretty fresh. I love living in this state and wouldn't want to live anywhere else, so all the seasons are something I enjoy.

 

[sumi]

Winter for me, most of my life, was very mild. Maybe a little frost overnight and dreams of snow... Daytime temperatures were in the 60's to 70's F lol

It's 35F here this morning, colder than we've been in days.

 

[sumi]

This winter can be a curse or a blessing, whichever way one wants to look at it. As a blessing, it can show one where there are gaps in their livestock systems that need filled before another such winter as this. As a curse, one can just see it as misery and not much else.

Back in the day we didn't have electricity and our water was carried from a spring that was a little distance from the house. We had to break ice each time and carry water to the house via buckets and milk jugs, then a couple of 5 gal. buckets another 200 yds to the pigs and chickens. That was the job of my sister and I before we went to school and again when we came home again...I was 10, she was 12. That was a cold business and you couldn't avoid getting your hands wet when dipping from a spring.

The pigs got water in their slop/feed, so we knew they were getting enough water with their food. We didn't try to give them extra water beyond that. Seemed to work...they ate it all before it froze and all the water was gone also.

The chickens seemed to get enough water before theirs froze up each day, so we didn't worry about them either. Water and feed twice a day and that was it.

Back in the day, folks would serve the livestock some warm gruel or mash when temps got this bad, so they got their water and feed in one meal. Seems like a good idea to me.

I feed wet feed to the chickens all winter long, so even though they have a heated dog bowl of water in the coop, they rarely take the levels down at all. I keep it from freezing by feeding it on the earthen floor in the middle of the coop, after I've raked back the DL there. Keeps it from freezing before they can eat it all...they get fed once a day in this manner and they seem to be getting all the feed~they are fat and sassy.

Lately I've been carrying hot water up there to pour over the dog's food, stir it up to make a gravy and feed it to them that way. I've noticed a lot less water use in their heated bucket since I started that, so I'll continue that for these really cold temps.

What a luxury those heated buckets and bowls are, though. Takes a lot of the work and worry about winter water out of the equation, so I highly recommend them. Used to have one for my sheep too. When the power goes out, they aren't much help, though, so feeding water and feed together can sometimes get the animals their daily water needs when water is hard to keep liquid.

Good post and good points, @Beekissed

 

[treerooted]

Well folks, the deep freeze is here.

Weather network says with windchill it's -36.

Needless to say the heated dog bowl froze over.

 

[baymule]

Wow......I cannot fathom that kind of weather.....