Blizzard Ready

So it looks like all of that storm prep that I did a few days ago was just a practice run. This is the most recent map of the impending blizzard. Do you see the bright yellow splotch to the right of Worcester? I live there, right in the epicenter of the storm.

blizzard map

 

Once again, I’ve cleaned the coops and added fresh bedding.

chickens

 

The goat stall was a particular mess. The goats eat second cutting grass hay. Not timothy. Not alfalfa. Not first cutting. Second. We recently bought a few bales. We were told it was second cutting. The goats tell us that the hay dealer is wrong. They tell us by looking miserably at us when we put a flake in their manger. They emphasize their dissatisfaction by stomping it into the ground.

hay in stall

 

They won’t starve. There’s plenty of good things to eat in that hay pile. But it is wasteful. I shoveled out all of the mucky hay and gave them a nice deep bedding of dry shavings.

clean stall

 

No doubt unwanted hay will add to the cozy stall while the blizzard blows in. But, in the meanwhile, while I work, the goats play.

goat play

 

My sumo-built rabbit is looking forward to the blizzard.

Bring it on! says Phoebe.

sumo rabbit

 

Please note that ITGuy has added windspeed to the live cams. It should be rather dramatic here tomorrow! Please share my site with your friends – the more people who watch, the more Steve’s work pays off! Hopefully, we won’t lose power and we’ll be able to broadcast all day.

My Beautiful Horse

I know that I haven’t posted much about Tonka recently, but I’ve been thinking big thoughts about horses, relationships and training, and I’ve needed to let my ponderings stew and become coherent before committing them to words on this blog. At the end of October I moved Tonka to a stable a half-hour drive from my home. It’s well worth the time spent in the car. Tonka is now getting hay four times a day, which keeps his belly full, which is essential for both health and mental well-being. He is turned out all day in a paddock with one other horse, a beautiful grey mare named Maggie.

SRS

 

He says that she’s okay, but bossy, and that she claims the best hay rack. Since there’s always enough hay for both of them, he defers to her. He’s a peaceful guy. Here is Tonka coming to say hello. Note that one ear is on me, and one ear is watching out for what Maggie is going to do next. She’s just told him that this hay is her hay. She might be in love, but that does’t include sharing.

Tonk and Maggie

 

There’s ice under the snow. Although Tonka has studs on his front shoes, which give him traction on slippery ground, his back feet are bare. He’s standing, braced.

Tonk in snow

 

He’s outside, but not able to move freely, so I led him to the indoor, and let him loose. I left the blanket on, because I’d be riding soon, and I didn’t want his back to get cold before putting on his saddle.

Tonk said that it felt good to stretch his legs.

Tonk in indoor

 

But, he’s ever so sane. No mad galloping. A bit of cantering.

Tonk canter

 

Some trotting and snorting to clear the lungs.

DSC_6214

 

Some fancy trotting down the long side.

tonk mirror

 

And always, my beautiful horse has a kind eye turned to me.

Tonk at play

 

Like Maggie, I’m madly in love with Tonka, but unlike her, I share, and he knows it.

Storm Preparation for Chicken Coops

If the weather report is accurate, we’re in for a doozy of a storm tomorrow. There will be sleet and snow accumulation. It’s the sort of heavy, icy precipitation that causes power outages and dangerous roads. Today there’s no hint in the blue skies of what’s to come. I took advantage of the nice (albeit below-freezing) weather to prepare for the storm. I let the animals out to wander and forage while I readied the barns.

animals out

 

There is frost on the ground, but the hens pay it no mind. A half-foot of snow, though, will be another story. They’ll be inside for at least a day, and I want to make sure that their coops are dry and fully stocked.

chicken feet

 

Water is more essential than food. We don’t have running water in the barns in the winter (the pipes would burst, and so they’re drained and turned off in November.) But, there is electricity. So, instead of hauling water out daily, I’ve installed a large heated bucket for a water source. It’s so much more convenient to fill the waterers from this than to carry them inside the house. Each barn has a tub, and they’re filled once a week – on our schedule, on a nice day, not in the middle of a storm!

water tub

 

The hanging feeders needed to be topped off.

hanging feeder

 

Manure, even frozen, is too full of moisture to leave in a coop, especially if the hens have nowhere else to go and the pop-door will be closed to keep out blowing snow. This is only two days worth, it’s what drops down when the hens sleep, and they usually stay out of it during the day. But it had to go before the storm arrived. I mucked out and refreshed bedding. Unfortunately, the manure that is frozen on the ground outside is stuck hard. That will have to wait for a thaw. But, I was able to sweep the goats’ patio clean. That will make shoveling the snow easier.

Manure under roosts

 

Dust bathing outside won’t be possible – so I added fresh sand to the inside dust baths.

dust bath

 

Sunshine is essential to your flock’s well-being. I can’t imagine keeping hens in winter climates in coops that don’t have large windows (all too prevalent in small, prefab coops!) Coops do get dusty, and so I swept off the windows to let the full amount of sun stream in.

clean coop

 

Not a bad place to weather a storm.

Phoebe

The other day I had a discussion with Phoebe.

Does this fur coat make me look fat? she asked.

Screen Shot 2015-01-21 at 3.29.38 PM

Ahem. Well. To be honest, I said, although it is a very thick and lovely coat, you have been the only one eating that pumpkin. Let’s just say that you are well-insulated from the winter’s cold.

Phoebe sniffed. This is the best season. Dressed properly, one can enjoy it fully.

Agreed, I said.

Phoebe

Thank you to Melissa who sent me the screen shot.

For more about keeping a rabbit with your flock, read this post.

An Icy Path

It rained on Saturday, which washed away much of the snow. This is called the January Thaw. It is not always a good thing. Cold and wind followed the rain. Black ice coated the roads. Driving was hazardous. So is the walk to the coops.

to barns

 

Even the dogs step carefully. Lily is smart enough not to chase squirrels.

icy path

 

The hens, however, are fine. It’s 20° F, and they’re outside. They don’t stand still on the ice, but they do walk about on it, with no ill effects.

chickens in pen

 

Those dinosaur feet do just fine.

hens pecking

 

I, on the other hand, worry about falling. I wear treads. I don’t go outside, not even to the mailbox, without them.

treads

 

It is just as bad at the stable where Tonka lives. He has studs on his shoes so that he can safely walk out to the paddock. Yesterday at the barn, three of us were talking and comparing winter footgear. Conversations about such things can go on at great length! We all had some version of these rubber pull-on ice cleats. The ones on my boots are from LL Bean, but I think that the next pair that I get will be these. What do you wear when the walking is treacherous?