Cold Morning on the Farm

 Whew! It is a cold, windy morning on the farm. With a bit of snow on the ground, and winds of 30+ mph it is certainly cold. Many parts of the United States have more snow and cold than we do, but it is brutal when you have to be out for any length of time. Tomorrow is supposed to be worse as wind chills are to be -20 to -30 F. 

I am thankful that we did not lose power, due to the winds, as our heat lamp stayed on in the chicken coop. Not all of our chickens have heat lamps, but the main coop does. The chickens in the barn and other coops are protected the best we can against the wind and cold. Each coop has straw in them in order to allow the chickens to stay a bit warmer. Each coop has an area that they are able to get into that is similar to a house that will block the wind and snow. I spent one whole day preparing coops for the cold weather and I am thankful that I did. 

I put plenty of hay in for the goat and she has a warm bed area that will help her as well. She can be in the barn away from most of the weather. The geese are always outside, and it doesn't matter what we do, they won't stay in. I have clean water containers in the house so that we can take fresh water out a few times a day as they will freeze in the smaller coops. We have a heated bowl for the chicken coop and a trough heater for the barn. Winter is a chore for farmers with animals, but I can't imagine a different life. 

We have a couple of breeds of chickens that I worry about since they are not cold hardy birds, but we will do our best to protect them. I don't worry about most of them as they are made to survive cold. Many people do not understand that animals like these are used to being in the cold and are made to survive the weather and most are smart enough to know where to go to stay warm. So many animal activists seem to think that animals should never be outside in severe weather, but even horses are accustomed to being in the cold. 

Most Plymouth Rock, Orpington, Amerucana, and Wyandotte breeds do well in winter as they are rather weather hardy breeds. I highly recommend that you add plenty of feed to their schedule as well. Chickens will eat up to 25% more feed in the cold weather, so it is always best to have plenty of feed on hand. Keeping coops clean and well-ventilated will help as well. 

Were you aware that using petroleum jelly in the winter on the combs and wattles will help prevent frostbite? It will not treat it but will help them from getting frostbit in the winter. I always keep a container of it at home. I have used it for a couple of years, and it works well. Some home items are necessities on a farm. I always keep extra peroxide, petroleum jelly, and spices as basil and garlic are great additions to water for helping with certain issues in chickens. 

Keping the coop under control in winter will help keep your flock safe. Predators are a threat in the winter as well, but the weather can be an even bigger issue that farmers must deal with early and continue through the winter months.