Chickens / Horses / Pigs / WayMaker Acres

Reaping Rewards in the Bitter Cold

I’m sure this comes as no surprise to any of you reading this, but it’s cold outside. Stupid cold. The kind of cold that has my horses shivering, my chickens fighting frostbite, and my pigs thinking twice before they leave the comfort of their bed to eat. The kind of cold that cuts through four layers of clothing to snatch whatever warmth is left in your fingers and toes. I don’t know how people live in places where this is the norm for winter.

When the weather gets this ridiculously cold, there’s nothing I like more than to stay in my home, next to the fire, under a blanket, drinking hot tea. But our animals don’t have that luxury. They need someone to care for them, to make sure they can stay warm and keep their bellies full. That falls to us. So, as often as is needed, we bundle up and head outside to feed and water the crew, ensure they have shelter from the cold, and check for injuries.

The main goal this week on the farmstead is to keep my animals alive through the onslaught of this polar vortex. Here’s how we’re doing it:

The Horses

Both horses are in the barn this week with blankets. The barn is shut up to minimize the wind chill. Yesterday, The Firefighter, The Equestrian, and I were out at the barn, realigning doors and using picks to remove rocks that had frozen solid into the ground. (Ok, so the pick wielding was left to The Firefighter, and the door realigning was a team effort by myself and The Equestrian whereby she did the realigning and I held the stepladder securely in place…we all have our roles to play.) It wasn’t a quick job – and probably seemed longer due to the cold, but it had to be done so we could properly close the barn doors. They are getting plenty of hay and grain as well as fresh water. We have heated buckets to keep the ice at bay, though one seems to be doing a better job than the other which means every morning and evening we have to break through the top layer of ice to free up the water below for drinking. The Equestrian did take them out of their stalls yesterday to stretch their legs, making sure that they did not work up a sweat. That’s the last thing we need…a sweaty horse when it’s 7 degrees outside. The hardest part of this is that the water needs to be hauled by hand out to the barn. It’s simply too cold to run the hose.

The Pigs

Baconator and Company have a lean-to off the barn where they sleep. They have a deep bed of straw that was added to over the weekend in preparation for this frigid weather. They huddle together to keep each other warm and seem to come out only to eat, drink, and relieve themselves. As long as they have a windbreak, the straw, and each other, they should be fine. I’m also giving them some extra feed during their twice daily feedings to make up for any extra calories they are burning trying to stay warm. Unfortunately, their water also has to be hauled out in buckets to fill their waterer.

The Chickens

For the first time ever, I’ve put heaters in the coops. They are radiant heat, flat heaters which are a far safer and more energy efficient alternative to heat lamps. The ladies have the option to leave the coop if they wish, but many seem to be spending a good amount of time in the coop where it’s warmer. Typically, I don’t worry about the chickens when it gets cold because God equipped them with feathers to keep them warm. Think about all those little cardinals and blue jays and robins that are out and about in this same weather. The design of down and feathers is quite brilliant indeed! The reason I decided to move forward with the heaters, however, is because the combs and wattles on my birds are susceptible to frostbite – especially, my rooster, Iggy. I want to give them every opportunity to win the battle. As for egg production, it was already suffering due to the shortened days (lack of light will adversely affect a hen’s laying production), and now the cold seems to be affecting them even more. All their energy, it seems, is going into keeping warm. The eggs that do get laid have to be collected quickly, else they freeze solid. Two days ago, the eggs weren’t collected. When I saw them the next day, every shell had a longitudinal fracture where the frozen expanse had pushed the protective covering away. It makes sense…water expands when it freezes and a good part of the egg is water. Speaking of water, we have a heated base for the layers’ waterer and it keeps their water from freezing. It’s been a blessing indeed!

The Baby Chicks

We did end up losing two babies (not from the cold). Sadly, that’s somewhat expected. The other 29 chickies are doing so well! They remain inside and are getting all kinds of love and attention. I had only planned to keep them inside for a week or so, but it looks like it will need to be a bit longer than that. Once they are a bit more feathered and the weather warms up a bit, they can be moved out to the shop brooder again.

The Cats

Tom, Jerry, and Zelda are faring well! They get a little extra food at each meal to keep them nourished and warm. They have lots of warm places to snuggle down into in the barn.

The Dogs

The inside dogs have been troopers about heading outside when needed. Moose, who is strictly an outside dog, seems to be enjoying the cold. His thick coat is doing a fine job of keeping him warm. Again, keeping him with fresh, unfrozen water is the challenge. It doesn’t take long for his bowl to freeze solid.

Not gonna lie, I’d rather not go out in this cold, but I also don’t mind it. There’s a deep sense of satisfaction that comes from the hard work we put into taking care of our animals and land. It’s not always easy or glamorous or fun, but it *is* certainly rewarding.

~Louise