January Freeze-a-thon

[fuzzi]

Check in!

I'm in Eastern NC, temps are in mid 20's, wind chill in low teens. We're getting a light snow/sleet mix, but it's supposed to change to freezing rain, soon.

 

[Baymule]

Different sources say different things. The only thing they all agree on is that it is cold. There will be ice. There will be snow. Maybe both. Maybe not. It's a calamity, we're all gonna freeze, better rush to the grocery store for 2 weeks worth of bread and milk.

 

[SageHill]

Different sources say different things. The only thing they all agree on is that it is cold. There will be ice. There will be snow. Maybe both. Maybe not. It's a calamity, we're all gonna freeze, better rush to the grocery store for 2 weeks worth of bread and milk.

Don't forget the toilet paper!

 

[SageHill]

A normal (finally normal) 45 here!

 

[farmerjan]

8 degrees, some snow and has been icy "stuff" since about 3 a.m. Have not been out yet. Looks like icy something out there coming down.

 

[fuzzi]

Power is still on.

There's a glaze over everything, looks wet but it's black ice.

Ice

 

[farmerjan]

I have a question... Everyone keeps talking in different posts about how prepared they are... That's great. BUT, then they talk about how difficult it will be to get out to the road to get to town...

IF everyone is so well prepared..... WHY does anyone has to worry about getting to town for the first 48-72 hours after the storm anyway????? I mean really...

If you are not a dr or a nurse... first responder, fireman or county road/DOT worker... you have no business being out there ... Most everyone on here does not have animals at a different farm... so not have to travel to another farm to take care of chores.
We have to travel to a couple farms to feed at... and all these animals have been consolidated in the last few weeks so that we have as little travel as possible...and breaking ice on water troughs so that they all get a drink while it is open...
BUT, now we are dealing with no water at the farm with automatic troughs.........and no one will be coming to pull a pump or anything in this cold this week... so we are going to have to rotate animals from different fields to the creeks...

YES there are medical emergencies... and if the roads are bad then they will have as much trouble getting to you as you will have getting out the driveway... that is the only reason anyone should even be out there dealing with the mess ... and for most people, those getting a little more into their prime... then STAY IN THE HOUSE AND DO NOT PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO HAVE A STROKE OR HEART ATTACK IN THE FIRST PLACE. OR at the very least... give the basics for survival only... this is only for a day or a few at most...

Another thing... animals will NOT DIE in this weather if they do not have water for 24 hours... it will make them less productive, milking cows will cut their production and then their feed intake will go way down... Every one will cut their forage intake way back... BUT THEY WILL NOT DIE... If it is 100 degrees out,,, different story since they do not sweat...

Nature will have them cut back their activity, their metabolism will adjust slower... it will be harder on them and weight gains will come to a standstill... but they will not die.....Most animals go and drink 2 or 3 times a day at most in the cold... they drink their fill, and that is it for hours...
You do not have to take 5 gallon buckets of water out to 2 sheep to drink... you do not have to leave water out there for them to get a little drink in an hour...if it is frozen then that is a total waste of your energy.... you take out what they drink down when you give it to them and that's all.... take more out later if you feel they have got to have another drink.

If the 4 big leghorns actually drink a qt of water in this cold that is alot... so I don't take the out 1/2 gallon to fill a rubber pan that is going to get half of that banged out of the pan as ice the next time... The 8 in the other pen (6 large fowl 2 bantams) do not drink a 1/2 gallon a day in this cold... and the langshan hen has been laying an egg just about every other day.... the NH pullets have not started.... I do take them out about 1/2 gallon, and they will have some ice left but still....
Sure it is nice they can drink whenever they want... but it is NOT ESSENTIAL to surviving...especially in the cold...

Heated water buckets make it nicer and easier... especially for the humans taking care of them... BUT THEY WILL NOT DIE if they don't have water in front of them 24/ 7...

I watch the patterns of the cattle at snyder's ... they travel/graze basically as one herd... they go to water on average 2 or 3 times on a cold day... most cattle will bed down at night and not get up to go to water...in the summer it is different because they do alot of grazing in the cooler night time temps and lay around and chew their cud in the heat....
Yesterday, DS went down the hill and used the sledge hammer to break the ice.... a couple were coming over the hill from the hay... and I drove down near there after he took the silage cart out... and they had to come see what I was doing... so then went right to the water ... which was my whole purpose... get them down there to drink while it was busted open... There was a little pushing, but they all drank... most backed off when they got their fill .....others went in to the trough..... there were a couple of latecomers and they got in there as the others turned to go... and they all went back over the hill to go eat more hay... doubtful they came back to drink and were able to get any due to the trough icing over again... sometimes they can break through a small amount of ice...
It is survival mode in this weather... not comfort mode... take care of the essential needs....
I am not saying neglect anything... but they do not need the babying that we all often times give them.

Another reason mother nature has babies born in the warmer weather normally.... and as humans we have manipulated things around so much... that we have to then cater to them and their needs.

 

[Mini Horses]

Mine get ice broken AM & PM....they're fine. Several tubs. I break one, until gone. Use next then. Have one heated tub in use, a dipper. I put ice chunks from broken into heated to melt. No hose run needed. Herd consolidated to make one feed area. Coops are extra steps but plenty of feed, just warm water 2x a day.

More work if jugged units. I put does/kids in one area, shared hay rack with rest of herd....to keep kids safe. One bldg, fenced in center, hay rack in center divider.

It's more my discomfort than theirs, to be fed.

I think comments about roads is more information than use I'm not leaving the farm. I'm thinking ahead about road use -- work schedules for coming week; it will happen or be changed.

 

[farmerjan]

What @Mini Horses said is about right... a good drink morning and evening... if you can... that will give them plenty to survive just fine in this cold... and eat enough to be able to do a decent job of ruminating...

The snow we have gotten, is very light and fluffy... a "dry snow" if that makes any sense to people... the animals can eat it if they need to... we got a little icing, and it is sorta a sleety pellet type thing out there now... but it is 15 degrees,,, not like it is going to melt and crust over so there is eatable snow out there...

 

[fuzzi]

I have a question... Everyone keeps talking in different posts about how prepared they are... That's great. BUT, then they talk about how difficult it will be to get out to the road to get to town...

IF everyone is so well prepared..... WHY does anyone has to worry about getting to town for the first 48-72 hours after the storm anyway????? I mean really...

If you are not a dr or a nurse... first responder, fireman or county road/DOT worker... you have no business being out there ... Most everyone on here does not have animals at a different farm... so not have to travel to another farm to take care of chores.
We have to travel to a couple farms to feed at... and all these animals have been consolidated in the last few weeks so that we have as little travel as possible...and breaking ice on water troughs so that they all get a drink while it is open...
BUT, now we are dealing with no water at the farm with automatic troughs.........and no one will be coming to pull a pump or anything in this cold this week... so we are going to have to rotate animals from different fields to the creeks...

YES there are medical emergencies... and if the roads are bad then they will have as much trouble getting to you as you will have getting out the driveway... that is the only reason anyone should even be out there dealing with the mess ... and for most people, those getting a little more into their prime... then STAY IN THE HOUSE AND DO NOT PUT YOURSELF IN A POSITION TO HAVE A STROKE OR HEART ATTACK IN THE FIRST PLACE. OR at the very least... give the basics for survival only... this is only for a day or a few at most...

Another thing... animals will NOT DIE in this weather if they do not have water for 24 hours... it will make them less productive, milking cows will cut their production and then their feed intake will go way down... Every one will cut their forage intake way back... BUT THEY WILL NOT DIE... If it is 100 degrees out,,, different story since they do not sweat...

Nature will have them cut back their activity, their metabolism will adjust slower... it will be harder on them and weight gains will come to a standstill... but they will not die.....Most animals go and drink 2 or 3 times a day at most in the cold... they drink their fill, and that is it for hours...
You do not have to take 5 gallon buckets of water out to 2 sheep to drink... you do not have to leave water out there for them to get a little drink in an hour...if it is frozen then that is a total waste of your energy.... you take out what they drink down when you give it to them and that's all.... take more out later if you feel they have got to have another drink.

If the 4 big leghorns actually drink a qt of water in this cold that is alot... so I don't take the out 1/2 gallon to fill a rubber pan that is going to get half of that banged out of the pan as ice the next time... The 8 in the other pen (6 large fowl 2 bantams) do not drink a 1/2 gallon a day in this cold... and the langshan hen has been laying an egg just about every other day.... the NH pullets have not started.... I do take them out about 1/2 gallon, and they will have some ice left but still....
Sure it is nice they can drink whenever they want... but it is NOT ESSENTIAL to surviving...especially in the cold...

Heated water buckets make it nicer and easier... especially for the humans taking care of them... BUT THEY WILL NOT DIE if they don't have water in front of them 24/ 7...

I watch the patterns of the cattle at snyder's ... they travel/graze basically as one herd... they go to water on average 2 or 3 times on a cold day... most cattle will bed down at night and not get up to go to water...in the summer it is different because they do alot of grazing in the cooler night time temps and lay around and chew their cud in the heat....
Yesterday, DS went down the hill and used the sledge hammer to break the ice.... a couple were coming over the hill from the hay... and I drove down near there after he took the silage cart out... and they had to come see what I was doing... so then went right to the water ... which was my whole purpose... get them down there to drink while it was busted open... There was a little pushing, but they all drank... most backed off when they got their fill .....others went in to the trough..... there were a couple of latecomers and they got in there as the others turned to go... and they all went back over the hill to go eat more hay... doubtful they came back to drink and were able to get any due to the trough icing over again... sometimes they can break through a small amount of ice...
It is survival mode in this weather... not comfort mode... take care of the essential needs....
I am not saying neglect anything... but they do not need the babying that we all often times give them.

Another reason mother nature has babies born in the warmer weather normally.... and as humans we have manipulated things around so much... that we have to then cater to them and their needs.

Good information, advice.

I'm not going anywhere, my car staying in the driveway until this stuff melts, dries.

Yesterday I made pork chops in the slow cooker, have leftovers for three meals. I baked bread, too. Today I'm just doing some inside stuff, "puttering". I'm good.