Battening down the flock!

[mulewagon]

Quote:
Okay, now I'm angry. You don't have the slightest idea what my conditions are, and to imply that I'm looking for excuses not to take care of my animals is highly offensive.

We are on chert. That's marbles on clay. When an ice film freezes onto it, it's marbles coated with WD-40 on clay. I fell during the last freeze, my FIL fell and cracked his head. My husband cannot afford to injure his spine again. We're up on the mountain, and the authorities are having to recruit volunteers with four wheel drives, because the ambulances can't negotiate this. Nothing here is made for ice - not the roads, paths, cars, nothing.

The chickens are fine this morning. The snow isn't frozen, so we could get down okay this morning. They were eating food, and snow, and they kept the coop warm enough that the alfalfa-water was frozen, but not solid. So my emergency preps worked fine. (Yes, we took water to them, as I do every day.)

And I'll keep them prepped, all through this, so that if it goes down to the frozen chert again, maybe I have some chance of keeping my husband off of it, now that he's seen how they're doing.

 

[Silverduck]

We are in Walker County, AL, we have about 4" this morning, I have already been out and gave my chickens warm water, I will check again after while and see if it is frozen back, I just take warm water and pour a little in the bottom of the waterer so they can get a drink, water is more important than food. It is a crusty snow, because there was a lot of sleet mixed in with it, I was very careful not to slide, but, if you take your time I think you can make it.

 

[hunterjumper999]

warm water freezes faster than cold. just like cold water boils faster than hot. wacky that water is.

 

[Casey3043]

Well, everyone made it to the food and water. Even the big brave rooster stood in the doorway of the sleeping coop, blocking everyone, and called danger warnings to the hens that the sky was falling. The more adventuresome of the hens pushed past him and ventured out. Finally, all went down to the other coop--about fifty feet of that dangerous snow! (Distance, not depth!) Most of them flew as much as they could to avoid stepping in it, but soon they were all out. I'll take them some treats later as a reward for being so brave. The roo soon followed and tried to hide his embarrassment.

The eating-and-drinking coop is also the egg-laying coop, so I hate to think where I would have found eggs if they hadn't worked up the courage to go down there.

 

[terrilhb]

We are in Ga. I did not even open the door to the run this morning and am not going to. Sleet and then rain and ice. They have water and their food. Getting the lock undone is another story. Keeps freezing and I have to beat the lock to open it. LOL. My poor goats would not even come out of their house to eat. Moved their water into house and brought their food to them. Delivery and lots of extra hay. Good luck to everyone through the storm.

to all the little peeps out there.

 

[Kinniburgh]

Quote:
I was thinking almost the same thing...well, I don't think anyone's lazy. Really, though, they would have all perished in the 18+ inches we got a few weeks back!! Put some kitty litter or sand on the ice in a path to the coop and get moving!

 

[Cass]

Quote:
Okay, now I'm angry. You don't have the slightest idea what my conditions are, and to imply that I'm looking for excuses not to take care of my animals is highly offensive.

We are on chert. That's marbles on clay. When an ice film freezes onto it, it's marbles coated with WD-40 on clay. I fell during the last freeze, my FIL fell and cracked his head. My husband cannot afford to injure his spine again. We're up on the mountain, and the authorities are having to recruit volunteers with four wheel drives, because the ambulances can't negotiate this. Nothing here is made for ice - not the roads, paths, cars, nothing.

The chickens are fine this morning. The snow isn't frozen, so we could get down okay this morning. They were eating food, and snow, and they kept the coop warm enough that the alfalfa-water was frozen, but not solid. So my emergency preps worked fine. (Yes, we took water to them, as I do every day.)

And I'll keep them prepped, all through this, so that if it goes down to the frozen chert again, maybe I have some chance of keeping my husband off of it, now that he's seen how they're doing.

I feel your pain...and applaud your preparedness...

I live in Upstate NY and heat my house with wood. There are days that I don't want to go outside to bring in wood for my OWN comfort, much less walk outside to feed animals. Of course I am *used* to it....but it doesn't make -10 windchills any more fun. Good luck to all of you in the south experienceing the new "Global warming"

 

[laturcotte1]

I'm in Massachusetts looking out my office window and you'd never know by the bright blue sky, we are going to get hit tonight after midnight approx 8" to a foot or more.

Tonight when I get home all water dishes get washed and filled, horses, goats, chickens, geese. We are tremendously lucky to have heated buckets to all places. Hay will be stored in just the right places, all feed buckets filled, nesting cleaned. Im tired already but let me tell you when I wake up in the morning and look out I'll know that everyone made it through the night. We all do the best we can.

Then the shovels come out and we spend the next 3 hours shoveling pathways, gates, doors, yards. The chickens/guineas hate the snow so we have to shovel the entire run out, babies!!

Yikes, I'm getting to old for this, maybe I'll retire to the south, OH WAIT, I'll have to bring my shovels there toooooo. Just kidding. Good luck everyone.

 

[Where The Wild Things Are]

I love stories like this! Makes me happy that I'm accustom to harsh winters (actually I love winter...it's much easier to dress for the cold, than to try and undress for the heat "yikes"). Anyhoo...best wishes as you brave the cold, snow and ice. "giggle"

 

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

Quote:
If you come to the south, don't come to the mountains. We are dealing with the same thing here. It's supposed to snow more tonight.