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10 DEGREES BELOW ZERO!!!
Topic Started: Jan 15 2009, 07:57 AM (922 Views)
OTF
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LostFarmer
Jan 16 2009, 09:47 PM
Aright when you have to milk cows and do 2 hours worth of chores in -40 F before the wind feel free to whine. When you have to cut your beer with Jack Daniels to keep it liquid you know it is cold. LF
LF, what watering system do you use for your cows and horses...heated troughs? How many cows are you milking? By machine or by hand? Just curious, ummm, I mean nosey. :innocent:

I'd forget the beer and go with the straight JD myself!

Don't know how you do it all in those temps. I'd take my hat off to you, but then my ears would freeze.

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LostFarmer
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We used to milk 50 cows in a 4 stall milk barn. A couple of years ago we sold the milk cows and bought beef cattle. Now we only milk 1 to 4 cows depending on the time of year and who is dry to get ready to calve in the same milk barn. Actual milking doesn't take long but the bottle calves, seperating the milk from the cream, then feeding the pigs, chickens, horses, and cattle takes a good 2 hours once a day and an hour the other time. This is for 2 to 3 people. Alone it is almost a days work.

We use a Ritchie waterers for the cattle and horses. We do cheat and bury power to the waterer and put a small piece of heat tape in them. A dairy cow will drink 30 to 50 gallons a day so there was enough use that the these rarely had trouble. The beef cattle and the young stock don't drink as much and we use the same drinkers with a small 250 watt bird bath heater in them. These are well insulated and work very well. Pricey but what is the price of a frozen waterer at -40 worth.
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Witchy
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We had -16 here this morning. My Boston Terrier is only going about 2 feet from the door to relieve himself. :argh: It's too cold to do anything, so we are going out to see Hotel for Dogs.
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Delia
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-1 when I got up to feed the dogs this a.m. But honestly, since there was no wind I think it was warmer than yesterday morning. My face didn't freeze when I walked them, and the horses were warming thenmselves in the sun when I went down to feed. All in all, not so bad!
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Black Tack
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We have warmed up to 5F!!(-11 still with wind chill though). But it's going in the right direction at least! I did cancel lesons this morning because it was the coldest so far when I got up. And the horses hadn't had much, if any turnout in 3 days. They are getting them out for short shifts today now that's starting to warm up. And of course we are supposed to get a bunch of snow tonight just to add to it all.

WOW LF, those are some cold temps :no:
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Fish Cheeks
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Wow, LF, you are one busy fella!

I hope everyone is staying warm and toasty inside.

I wonder and worry about homeless people in that kind of weather - surely they cannot be living outside? :huh:

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OTF
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It's up to 20-something now, no wind. I was out for quite a bit earlier and I think I've finally adjusted to the cold. Of course, I have four layers on, and a hat and hood over that. Can't do anything with gloves on though, but so far my hands haven't frozen to anything yet.

Have to keep taking warm water to the chickens. I don't have a heated waterer for them, but with repeat refills, they seem to be okay.

The auto-waterer in the big donkeys' pasture has a glacier around it! And R doesn't bother to check it? Can you spell :argh: :censored: :bigwhoop: :brickwall: ? So I carried warm water to them this morning and made sure they guzzled. Didn't help that Dicey knocked it over a couple of times (just for spite, I'm sure). Time to kick some husband butt!!!!!!!! Inexcusable!!!!

I don't blame you a bit, BT, for cancelling lessons. Hard to learn when you're shivering and just as hard to instruct when you're standing in the arena, way too cold.

LF, thanks for the explanation. I can well imagine the time it takes with the cold AND snow you have. We have Ritchies also, but not enough traffic on them to keep the plastic balls from freezing in place. We also have a couple of Rubbermaid troughs with heaters, which the animals seem to prefer, and as long as the power stays on, we're okay.
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SnackPack
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Fish Cheeks
Jan 16 2009, 08:50 PM
Wow, I am a total wuss. I could not survive in those temeratures - my fingers get cold beyond usability at about 30 degrees!

It was about 70 degrees here in NorCal - a gorgeous day, to be sure, but I am most worried about our lack of rain. We live in a tinderbox area and were surrounded by fires last spring. We need rain!!!

Absolutely. It's been in the 80s all week here. The barn was actually 83 on Saturday...an it's right on the coast in a spot that usually is 'warm' when it's mid '70s. I hate to think of this summer. The hills haven't even really turned green here. They're trying, but I just don't think it's going to make it. We might be warm right now, but we're going to pay for it later.
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Corey94
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I had one interior spigot freeze (we're right between Baltimore and Washington in Maryland, low was 4 degrees on Saturday am) and we got creative to keep it from happening again. Mr. Corey94 placed a lit light bulb right there, and I didn't have any more trouble.

I did gain, however, a real respect for folks, especially the ones here, who practice horse husbandry in the super low temperature areas. I just can't imagine having everything freeze at the drop of a hat. It must have you so trained on what it will take to keep things from freezing.

Ugh, then add snowcover. I consider myself pretty tough, but I think that'd be it for me. :shoot:

So, a :woot: and a :martini: for you guys.

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Sannois
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Sunny and cold here. It was one below when I woke, but it up to 16.
We got 5 inches of snow Sat night and sunday, But ut was 22 yesterday. Hoping it moderates now. Thankful for the sun. :clap:
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stephjm
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It'll be an adventure! We're going on an adventure!
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Sannois
Jan 19 2009, 09:48 AM
Sunny and cold here. It was one below when I woke, but it up to 16.
We got 5 inches of snow Sat night and sunday, But ut was 22 yesterday. Hoping it moderates now. Thankful for the sun. :clap:
Yes, the sun is absolutely wonderful. Makes even the cold seem better, plus the house is warmer. :)
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