Winter~Are you ready? It's coming!

[Dace]

Hey, you all are welcome to come to So Cal.!!

I'll show you what winter SHOULD be!! (we often wear shorts during Christmas break shhhhh, don't tell Quail)

 

[sylvie]

I'm cold.
The mild November did nothing to acclimate me for this morning's 28 degrees. The grass is crunchy, standing water from the rain froze.

Still- I hate the heat more than being cold.

I'm looking forward to cross country skiing. I hold an Ohio championship from a few years ago and might go for an age group this year. It's good to have some cold weather goals in order to deal with winter.

 

[BeccaOH]

I agree. I'm not yet acclimated to winter temps. My hands always crack and hurt during winter. Can't always wear gloves to do the work, though I try. I'd wear those plastic tight fitting ones against the wet, but latex has started to bother my sensitive hands. :/

I've been running electric cords and setting up heated waterers. I really need to buy one more heated one to be set. Not sure what to do for the rabbits, though, except get extra bottles that can be swapped out when one freezes up.

My electric bill is already outrageous, so I dread the winter when electric seems to go up. Thought about not doing outside Christmas lights, but my mom really enjoys them.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Hey, you all are welcome to come to So Cal.!!

I'll show you what winter SHOULD be!! (we often wear shorts during Christmas break shhhhh, don't tell Quail)

SNOT!!

 

[Wildsky]

We got dumped into winter really fast. A couple of weeks ago it was really nice out, but now we haven't been above freezing for a couple of days, and the highest point this week is today with a high of 33.

We had some snow flurries yesterday and more coming on SUnday - tuesday.

I hate chores in Winter, we also have to carry water out to the animals (horse as well) we made a "train" the other day, my hubby in the horse area my son at the fawcet and me walking the buckets between them (I think I got the short stick) but it worked and we were able to top up the water tank pretty fast (about 8-10 buckets)

We're getting some (6)large round bales of hay this weekend, that makes it easier for me as I don't have to run out with hay twice a day for the horse and goat, they can help themselves! We will try get more of those round bales to last us through to next years cutting.

We only got our wood stove in at the last second (beginning of November) so we're really wanting for wood, pretty much chop up as we need it, which isn't the best idea - next year we'll be better prepared on that front. Luckily for us a friend has given us tons of old dry tree stumps to use. (They're difficult to chop up with knots and such, but hey - they burn!)

its 6 degree's outside right now

 

[Wildsky]

Hey, you all are welcome to come to So Cal.!!

I'll show you what winter SHOULD be!! (we often wear shorts during Christmas break shhhhh, don't tell Quail)

my "work" is in SoCal, I should tell them I need to come into the office for more training.........

 

[TanksHill]

Dace your teasing that's not nice!!! I posted on FB the other day I was cold. My girlfriend in Jersey brought me back to reality.

Quail I don't know how you manage all that water. You amaze me!! Do you have a tank or cistern on the house? Or do you haul daily for that too?? Where are you getting your water now? Still the spring? That seems to make it even harder. Bless you woman!!!

I think everything is relative. We may have mild a winter but that 110 in the middle of summer really sucked.

We have our first heavy rain coming next week. I am going to batten down the hatches. Stack some wood near the house and try to put up a coupe rain barrels. Wish me luck.

g

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Yes, we still go to the spring on occassion, but our friend has been letting us get water from their place, too, which is a couple miles closer.

 

[miss_thenorth]

For the rabbit waterers, Quail, when it starts freezing, I switch to crocks. the only water hauling I do in the winter is a hot bucket of water. I take the frozen crocks, dump them into the hot bucket of water, do my chores while letting them thaw. When they are ready, I take them out, fill them up. The bunns drink, I top them up. I do this again in the evening. At first, I also went in mid day, but found they didn't really drink at mid day. They get enough water from the morning and evening fillups. Also, there is enough in the crocks that they can have a drink later on before it freezes up again. This has worked for me for two years. this will probably work for the quail as well.

The chickens have an electric water bowl, but don't know how well that is going to work, now that the ducks are also in the barn--they make a mess of the water. Horses have an electic water thingy in their bucket too. NOt sure how I;m going to do the sheep, but I might invest in another electric waterer thingy for them too.

The only thing I hate about winter and chores is the wind. but once I'm in the barn, it's ok.

I'm doing my last hatch--due mid December (barred rocks) I won't be hatching anymore until spring. I might breed my one doe one more time before winter, and the only reason I'm doing them is b/c I have a sale that I go to in April. I'd like to have enough rabbits and quail and chickens to sell, so that I at least break even in gas money, maybe make a little.

 

[deb4o]

Ready for winter? I don't think so,I hate it, I feed in the dark,morning and night, but at least this year DH did get a nice big light out by the chicken coop,and it shines over to where we feed the cow. There is also one on the garage and it helps to be able to see to feed barn cats,rabbit, and the outside dogs.

We have made sure that everyone has a nice warm house.

But the watering in always a battle,we have a large tank, it is about 500 gallons,it has a spiket at the bottom and we surround it with hay bales, it doesn't stay thawed all winter,but at least part of the time we don't have to haul from the house.

So animals are pretty well taken care of, as for me personally, I find winter very boring, its dark when I get home and after dinner I just feel like putting on jammies and vegging. so very little gets done around the house until the weekend, I gotta have nature light to feel alive.But I do spend alot to time dreaming and planning next springs chores,already have a list going