What Are Your Winter Woes?

[minnehaha]

So sorry you have Raynauds, that must be miserable in the cold rain and wind. I completely agree with you that cold windy rain is harder on a person than snow. I live in the north, recently it warmed up and we had rain, and wind. I was so much colder that week then I was when it was completely frozen with snow.

I wonder if you would benefit from a snow mobile suit? I wear one that I bought at the thrift store, it's pretty waterproof and very warm. I wear it when plowing snow. They also sell snow boarding outerwear. But, it's probably not as easy to find in Georgia as it is up here in the Thrift stores.

I also have a series of gloves that I hang above the utility sink so that I always have something dry. My hands really suffered when they were wet and cold versus just cold and I don't even have Raynauds. Have you tried putting those hand warmers in your gloves? I wonder if it would help, or if it would be to expensive for as much time as you are out taking care of live stock. We bought big boxes of them from Costco for hunting season and for riding ATV's. I had not even thought about using them for working, wish I had, my hands ached so bad from the wet and the cold combined.

These:

I hang my gloves and hats from one of these hanging sock dryers:

 

[veronicasmom]

Bought my husband one of these for Christmas: http://www.sharperimage.com/si/view/product/Rechargeable-Hand-Warmer/201889

He is a police officer and uses it when he has to do measuring at accident reconstructions and cannot wear his gloves. He just keeps it charged and holds it in his hands to warm up. He said it works well. Guess you could buy two and keep on in each glove? They are not that pricey. Would probably work better with mittens, but who can do barn chores in mittens??

 

[minnehaha]

That is one cool little device!!! And it's economical. I think I should get those for hunting season. Thanks, I had never heard of or seen these before.

Please tell your husband thank you for his service and God Bless.

 

[2ducksCT]

Bought my husband one of these for Christmas: http://www.sharperimage.com/si/view/product/Rechargeable-Hand-Warmer/201889

He is a police officer and uses it when he has to do measuring at accident reconstructions and cannot wear his gloves. He just keeps it charged and holds it in his hands to warm up. He said it works well. Guess you could buy two and keep on in each glove? They are not that pricey. Would probably work better with mittens, but who can do barn chores in mittens??

oh! I need to get that! I'm a native Californian and a first time duck owner, so I didn't know about hand warmers (even the disposable kind). I don't mind too much having to deal with the snow and cold (because I love my ducks so much), but my hands get miserably frigid even with gloves. I have bought four different pairs, trying to find the ideal waterproof warm glove to work in, but so far, nothing really works. I'll try the hand warmers! Thank you!

 

[allergymama]

BRRRRRR! Now, it's so cold that even the heated water dishes are freezing over on the top! -26 this morning before wind chill...

 

[PotatoWaffles]

Before the wind chill? That's so cold! Our temp yesterday was -2 and wind chill was at -10F.

 

[mystry]

I think it is "suiting up", and wet cold hands. I have about a 100 + birds this year. I do have a matted, duck enclosure divided into apartments, with several doors, then there are outside runs...which are on a slope to drain, but I 'should' have put gravel in when I could. the only way I could get some in is by small wheelbarrow now. I make so with putting some hay or woodchips in portions of it. But all but the Silkies go out into 3 separate pastures daytime, unless it is raining hard or I have to go out all day and won't be back till dark. I hose the mats every day or eod. top off or empty water buckets, and then there are half dozen kiddie pools in different areas...I empty once or twice a week usually. I add hay or leaves to the miniduck houses if needed. some are in raised pens on wire and others have a pond rock pen I can hose. Now when it freezes really hard, (the teens, not very often in Georgia!) I end up with frozen bucket mushrooms gracing the pens!

(sometimes I make ice block towers out of them) I try to dump all ponds if we are getting a couple days of nasty hard freezes and not above 30's in daytime. Sometimes I can cheat and leave a couple inches of water and then add some on top the next day...sometimes this backfires and the block floats up and I have to chuck it out or ducks just have a floating iceberg. I also have to walk the hoses out to drain ....and if I forget, I have to drag them out to thaw and get out a spare hose and change over all the connecters (quick connects to my freeze proof facet).

My problem is I have to wear rainpaints or waterproof overalls over my inside pants, waterproof boots and gloves, and coat. I have tried over 12 kinds of waterproof gloves and haven't found any that are really 100% waterproof, so I have 6 pairs, and end up clippnig them to child hangers over the utility sink, so I can rotate them for a week and they should be dry by then! Too Bad, as Schmidt gloves were waterproof and reasonable several years ago and now no longer pass the dip the hand in wet bucket test. So, I keep ordering gloves, and sending them back....(sigh). I have Raynaulds Syndrome so getting cold hands is very painful,like frostbite.... I did find a Carters mans hat with earcovers that come down around my neck, and is waterproof and warm....
I thought the mats were enough, but when really cold, I do put hay on a section of each mat, and just keep adding as needed. Then I "unglue" the poo mat and use it on my plants, trees and garden as a fertilizer mat.....
The worst isn't snow, (it is nice and clean), it's cold rainy,windy 30's to low 40's,

I can feel your pain. I have raynauds also. Winter here (So.Dak) sucks!! Although I have learned to open doors when my hands are "froze up". Sometimes I think fall is worse too because we sometimes get rain/ice. Winter is usually (not this year) just snow and cold. This year it has been crazy, it will be in the 40's one day and -20 the next then slowly back up to 40! UGH!!

 

[mystry]

I have also found that when hands do get accidently cold, I usually try running luke warm, NOT hot, water over my wrists, they aren't quite as painful when the blood starts moving back into them that way. You may want to try one of those hand warmer things on your wrist if they don't get too hot. Just a suggestion.....

 

[donkeydew2farms]

i am snowed in today my ducks and geese are very unhappy i spent all day cleaning the snow off putting hay down trying to keeping the wild birds from eating all there food . i live in S W Ky . i moved here to get away from this HA.

 

[2ducksCT]

i am snowed in today my ducks and geese are very unhappy i spent all day cleaning the snow off putting hay down trying to keeping the wild birds from eating all there food . i live in S W Ky . i moved here to get away from this HA.

Brrr! It's cold everywhere it seems! Darcy &, Lizzy (my ducks) and I are counting down the days to spring! This has been the worst winter in my 3 years living in coastal CT and my first winter with ducks. (I'm a native California.) They seem to be handling it much better than I am. I wish I had feathers!