Cold weather and Cogburn

As the local people know, we experienced a snowstorm last weekend and very cold temperatures since then.  With this, it is beautiful so I felt compelled to take some photos.  But it is also very hard on the animals.  We have an unheated, uninsulated barn but fortunately pretty tough animals.  So they just cuddle up with one another and stay warm through the very cold nights.  The biggest problem is breaking up the ice so they can have water to drink.  

This cold weather is especially hard on older, thinner animals.  We have a rooster that Tom named Cogburn.  He was the king of the barn- the top rooster with the largest "harem" of hens.  In the last few months he stopped being the top rooster and then he lost his harem and his roosting spot.  The last few days he looked droopy.  Yesterday he looked especially droopy although he could still fly, eat and drink.  I put him in the feed shed with food and water thinking it would be a little warmer for him in there.  We found him this morning dead in there.  We have had some interesting roosters including "hitler chicken" who walked like Hitler and a one legged rooster that a neighbor kindly took in as he wasn't doing well with the others here,  but Cogburn was the best of them all.  He was a beautiful bird who strutted around but was never too aggressive.  He will be sorely missed in the barn and in our hearts.

This cold weather is also hard on my first sheep, Ebony.  She has been quite thin for a while but has eaten very well.  This morning she did not want to eat, only drink water.  I knew if she did not eat she would not do well in this cold weather.  So we moved her into the trailer with some heat, hay, grain and warm water.  I am hoping for the best.