It was -21.2F when I got up. It is a
balmy 11.2 below zero now. When it is this cold my routine is
somewhat different. For instance, I haven't gone out to do the
Morning chores yet. I have two water buckets for the sheep that will
need filling. I try to give them just enough water that there will be
a minimum of ice in the bucket. If the buckets have less than a third
of ice in them, I can just fill them with hot water out of the tap. I
hate to have to raise the bucket over my head and crash it to the
ground to get the ice out. The chicken water rarely freezes solid. In
fact it often doesn't freeze at all, until it gets below zero F. The
coop we have, would need about forty chickens to keep it warm enough
to prevent the water freezing, except for the coldest days. We have
about 30 chickens and that is not enough to keep it above freezing
when it gets below the single digits.
It is hard to predict how much water
the a sheep will drink. Sometimes they will drink none. Sometimes
they will eat snow. Sometimes they will get into a rhythm of drinking
every other day. When it is this cold, I will go out in the afternoon
and empty out any remaining water so I don't have to do the overhead
crash in the Morning. The buckets are rubber, or synthetic, they take
a beating. They hold about seven gallons. Well, I am going to take a
break and go out there right now.
Back from watering. Another difference
in these cold days, is that I get one or both of our wood stoves
going. We have a geo-thermal heat system. It works great, but the
particular unit we have, seems to work extra hard when it gets down
to -20F. If the overnight temperature stays above -10F, I would not
use the wood stoves, except for atmosphere, or if we wanted to be
especially cozy. We have wood stacked in a fairly neat row where we
park the cars. It is a nice Sunny location. We generally buy
unseasoned wood and use it as it is ready. My days of cutting wood
may be over. In fact I offered my almost unused Jonsered to my
children. They haven't picked it up yet. I have enough wood in my
pastures [mostly scrub trees] that I wouldn't have to buy wood; but
when one is over eighty …........... it would probably be good
exercise, though.
The chickens are just starting to lay,
with the increasing light. They take a hiatus from mid November to
late December/early January, when the days start getting longer.
Pullets will lay during the dark days, but we didn't have any this
year. Some years we raise a few pullets, depending on when they are
hatched, they will start laying in autumn and lay, right through the
period, their older friends are taking their break. We got four eggs
yesterday.
We have six ewes and a ram in the North
pasture. The ewes will lamb in April. They are hair sheep and don't
have to be sheared. We have seven sheep in the South pasture. Four of
them are woolies and need to be sheared and three are cross breeds. I
think the wool gene is dominate and they will need to be sheared. We
hope to get the pastures connected this Spring.
I sold my turkeys but I think I will
get some more, come Spring. I love having them around.
I love my life. I love the Seasons. I
will have to haul a toboggan load of wood up to the house, it keeps
the old body operating optimally.
We will spend most of the day in a warm
cozy living room next to the wood stove. Well, we do have to go to
the Amish to get milk. But that will be a pleasant Winter journey.
Love and Peace, Gregg
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