The lowest temperature I saw today was 16 degrees, but it sure felt colder. I waited until the afternoon to do critters to give the sun more time to thaw things. My plan did not work. Here's the ice we have been braking out of one of the tubs all week, and the chickens patiently waiting for the liquid kind of water.
Here's the goat's tub of "water".
Here's out hose frozen in what used to be mud/
Here's a bucket of "water" from inside the barn.
Here's a phoenix rooster that Tom may have saved last night. He said he couldn't walk and was found laying outside last evening. Tom put him in this kennel with a heating pad, food and water, and he is walking around now. I was fully expecting to find him dead this morning. He'll stay on the heating pad again tonight.
Here's the goose/duck "swimming" pool.
Here's a gate frozen into what was mud last week.
So all of the above has made our lives more difficult. Where it usually takes 1/2 to 1 hour to do animal chores, now it takes 3 hours. And it is exhausting. I did manage to have almost enough hoses unfrozen to give water to everyone- I did have to bucket for the far two fields. Afterward I used gravity to drain the hoses, put them on fence posts and then blew them out. This usually gets the water out so they can stay open for use.
And here's the sun going down at 3:45 PM. It is going to be a long, cold, dark night.
So I came in after these chores and took a hot shower. The hot water became ice cold by the time it hit my feet. I have never had that happen before. And I think I have early frost bite on my thighs. The skin there is red, swollen and has decreased sensation. I was wearing a thick sweaters, wool socks, thick boots, gloves and a hooded Carhartt coat but only jeans on my thighs. So let this be a lesson to you all- cotton kills- wear your long-johns! I sure will now!
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