It's been a rollercoaster of temperatures so far this winter. 50 degrees one day, 15 the next. We've had ice and snowfall. The next 3 days are forecasted to be down right brutal. Starting tonight in the lower 30's an estimated 7-10 inches of snow overnight and a freefalling nose-dive of temperatures dipping down to -5 tomorrow night. Monday our temperatures are expected to spike all the way up to 3 degrees. On top of this they are calling for -20 to -30 wind chill. Now I understand why our goats would not breed for their usual December/January kidding season. They knew better than me. I was disappointed, until now.
We are feeding unlimited hay and extra grain to help all of our critters stay warm. ALL of our animals have shelter. Even the cows are able to go into a barn out of the wind. We have tank heaters in place to keep their water from freezing, so it will be drinkable to also help them stay warm. Extra care is taken to avoid frozen teats and frostbitten udders. We are bedding all barns heavily with straw so the have a warm dry place to lay down. No animal will be isolated through these cold temps. Everyone has at least a buddy to huddle with. We are grateful that these temperatures are short term and will be over in a couple days. We are looking forward to spring more and more.
We are feeding unlimited hay and extra grain to help all of our critters stay warm. ALL of our animals have shelter. Even the cows are able to go into a barn out of the wind. We have tank heaters in place to keep their water from freezing, so it will be drinkable to also help them stay warm. Extra care is taken to avoid frozen teats and frostbitten udders. We are bedding all barns heavily with straw so the have a warm dry place to lay down. No animal will be isolated through these cold temps. Everyone has at least a buddy to huddle with. We are grateful that these temperatures are short term and will be over in a couple days. We are looking forward to spring more and more.