Livestock OH MY GOSH IT IS COLD OUT THERE!!!

[ioujc]

Went out to water and feed the goats and chickens. It is so cold my nose started running immediately and I could hardly walk back to the house>>>>I have really bad back and in spite of the extra layers and the extra coat tied around my waist to keep my back warm, It seized up about half way through what I had to do.

I took both the goats and the chickens some lettuce and cabbage, as well as their corn>>>They about ATTACKED me for it!!

EVERYTHING IS FROZEN HARD!!

And my toes are too!!

Stay warm folks>>>>and it is SLIPPERY!!

 

[psychgirl]

Where are you? General vicinity....

 

[ioujc]

About 30 miles North of Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

The goat trough is a 30 gallon tank>>>>>frozen through all the way! Actually, it has been since last week.

Yeah, I live in the area that normally has in-between winters. Some years it's really cold, some years there's almost no winter at all. Last time it was like this was 2017>>>REAL COLD and I was hauling 10 gallons of hot water to pigs twice a day>>>>about a football field away. Everything but my water in the house was frozen!! So, I carried it down 6 foot decks that were like ice skating!!

Those were the days!!

 

[Signwatcher]

My friend in Columbia Falls, MT, told me it got down to -24 degrees F, one night last week. Makes my old bones cold just thinking about it!

 

[AlaskaSue]

Stay hydrated, keep your sink cupboards open to warm air, wear layers of course including head and ear covering. And get a pair of felt soles to add into the bottoms of your boots. Be safe!

 

[ioujc]

Thanks Alaska Sue!! If anyone knows, it would be you!!

 

[Marie]

Can you get a livestock tank heater. Or a heated bucket? I use them everywhere.

 

[cowboy]

A couple of things I've learned with watering tubs in the winter is I don't top the tub off and actually let the animals drink the tubs down to less than half. Freezes like now it will be froze in a hour or so anyway and now I have a empty tub to start with next time.

Another is to use pvc pipe that accepts a short piece of hose just slid into it rather than using hose that holds water and causes the faucet to freeze. Now I am not taking the hose off all the time.

 

[China Connection]

I had my share of fun in South Korea with -17 for periods of time during the winter.

Going up a mountain side in my car once and started sliding back down the road. Real fun...

 

[Betty_Rose]

We’re expected to have temperatures of -5 in St. Louis area tomorrow. It’s been single digits for several days. We’ve had snow every morning for a time and the back roads are a mess here in SW Illinois.

It’s been brutal.

 

[ioujc]

Well, I could go try to buy tank heaters, but I doubt there are any left at the feed store, and the nearest feed store is about 35 miles away. I know how to drive in this kind of weather and have a 4 wheel drive, standard transmission truck, which is pretty much necessary, but I have NO intention of driving to town!

I have not left my driveway since this started>>>>with recent surgery and mobility issues, why tempt fate?? It is easier, though painful, to take a gallon of water out to each of the goats and the chickens>>>only have two goats and the one that is not spoiled rotten is eating snow. They were not that thirsty, which surprised me.

More of an issue is the fact that I have holes in the floor in the house!! I have them covered with boards and then cardboard and cloth stuffed in the cracks. The warmest I have been able to get it is 55 in the house. This is about right. I might like it about three degrees warmer, but I am wearing layers and keeping warm with big dogs all over me. The holes in the floor are because a roofer destroyed the roof and when dickhead left, he destroyed the central heat and air so the window air conditioners I installed have rotted out the floors>>>>in places no where NEAR the windows???

This was an old double wide that was refurbished and is not worth saving. I have purchased a lovely 36 ft. camper, which I haven't had delivered yet, because I can't decide where I want it!!I have HUGE stacks of concrete blocks to build a shelter around it, but just can't figure the best place for it! There are several places that would be adequate. I was going to put it inside the Quonset hut I also own, but am not sure if that is the best plan now????

 

[Marie]

(((Ioujc))) wish I was closer!

 

[coloradohermit]

I'm darn glad not to have any livestock anymore! Here in central CO it's currently -15* and the air is full of light snow that has produced a solid dusting so far. The only inconvenience is that I closed all the curtains to help keep some of the cold air out and I miss seeing what's going on out there.

 

[Marie]

I have a cow springing right now praying she waits till Wednesday. - 25 to -30 for the next 2 nights. who knows what windchill.

 

[ioujc]

Well, yesterday the house FINALLY warmed up!!

The sun was out and coming through the windows on the South side, the house got up to 66 degrees!!! AWESOME!!

Stayed up there most of the night, but down to 61 again this morning>>>>I don't have all the stove burners on though.

I discovered that the propane was TOO COLD to light in my Mr. Heater!!
I had tried and tried to get it to light and then tried one more time when the temp got up higher and it LIT!! So, now I have it on pilot and will turn it up when it gets really cold again.

Now my blasted water is frozen!! That has NEVER happened here before!! But then it hasn't gotten this cold and stayed there like this in a LONG time. IN 2017, it got down to 17 degrees and stayed there, but it has gone down to below zero this time!! Guess I am going to have to fix things up better in the crawl space>>>>actually that "crawl space is about 5 and a half feet high>>>so it is going to need either my wood furnace pipes to run through there, or some kind of heater.

I am trying to work up enough stamina to go out and feed all the animals and give them grain and hay and then gather snow in all my pots and pans and buckets and bring it in the house and get it thawed. Doesn't look like it is going to get warmer for a NUMBER OF DAYS>>>>through the weekend at least!

BUMMER MAN!!

 

[Freeholder]

One of my goats kidded the other night, at nine degrees! I didn't think she was pregnant -- she'd kind of looked like she might be for a short time, then didn't look like it so I figured she'd just been eating well. I was pretty shocked when I looked out and saw a dried off baby with her. It seems to be nursing well, so hopefully will be all right. At least she seems to be a better first-time mother than the last doe, who kidded in December.

I'm glad it wasn't below zero, though. Probably would have lost the little bugger.

Kathleen

 

[Cag3db1rd]

Grove, OK is apparently out of natural gas, and my 77 year old mother who has never been without central heat in her entire life is huddling up in front of her one space heater trying to stay warm. I offered her my buddy heater, and she said she is afraid of propane. She and my late dad had even switched over the fireplace to gas "logs" about a decade ago. I suggested to sit in front of the south facing picture window, but she said there is no tv in there. I said to have my brother move the tv, but she said there is no hook-up in that room. All the money in the world will do you no good if there is nothing to save you from the cold.
I love my mom. This is not me trying to disparage her. She grew up in a rural town with parents who were both business ppl and had every modern convenience they could provide. My dad was an attorney that came from monied parents, and kept my mom in a very comforable lifestyle. She does not know how to deal with hardships, nor is she ready to learn to do so. I don't know how to help her.

Good times make weak ppl.