It’s cold.
Very cold.
The animals are fine. On a day this frigid, the hens get
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to make up for the calories they burn to stay warm. They’re delighted.
Even with temperatures this low, they don’t need heat in the coop. I’ve written about care for chickens in cold weather here.
The goats have furnaces in their bellies. Really! The bacteria in their guts that digest food generate heat. On a day like this, they get an extra flake of hay (put out on top of their tree out in the sun.) The goats are delighted with a reason to get more than their usual ration.
Tonka, too, will have extra hay. But with the windchill in the double digits below zero, he’s staying inside. I’ll be going to the barn after lunch to take him for a walk around the indoor to keep his day from being totally boring and to let him stretch his legs.
It’s the humans that have the hard time of it. Last night, when the wind chill was around 20 below, Steve realized that the pond’s water level was low and that the pump was making straining noises. So, he threaded a hose out from the basement, filled up the pond and cleaned out the filter, making sure that Beast’s lair would keep her safe through the rest of the winter.
You do what you have to do, but for now the animals are tucked in, Steve is reading the Sunday paper, and I’m about to make brownies for Valentine’s Day.
Stay safe and cozy everyone!