Get Ready for Winter

[CapricornFarm]

I have one end on! I have to do a little modification since the glass is not exactly the size i need. I cut two small boards to fit in that space and painted them. And since it is hinged, i need to put a catch or latch or something on there to keep the door closed.
I spray painted 2 coats of black paint on the waterer so it absorbs more solar power. I put some duct tape in two strips , one on each side up the sides of the waterer. Once the paint dries, i will peel them off and be able to tell how much water is left.
Pictures after lunch, just charged up my phone.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Here is the modified waterer:

This is the solar cage, lying on its side so i can work on the bottom.

 

[h2oratt]

Hi capi,
Your waterer looks good!

 

[CapricornFarm]

Hi capi,
Your waterer looks good!

Thanks, i am excited to set it up! I am not sure if i need exhaust and oxygen for the compost but i think i should do it. Need to go to Lowes.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Here is the latest:

One end left to finish! Then i do the interior.

 

[Latitude33]

What is this "Winter" you speak of? Your ways are very strange to me...

 

[CapricornFarm]

What is this "Winter" you speak of? Your ways are very strange to me...

At least we are not up to our butts in traffic!

 

[itsasmallfarm]

well its like winter here (where i live and that is Canada so we get super cold) got more snow this year so far then we had last season all together it seems lol.

i would love to share tales like the old mountain men/homesteaders of the past where they had to gather all there food for the winter to survive.
but i live with in modern times so we just go to the store to get are supplies (to note we have enough food to last a good week or two in case of a storm.)

 

[CapricornFarm]

We are definitely sliding into winter here. Going down to 29 tonight. I will be glad to get my solar water heater done!

 

[perchie.girl]

LOL... Love the ideas... Hi Cap

I am in San Diego My place is in the High desert east of here... LOL and Yes we get winter @Latitude33 ... My place is in Southern Southern California about two miles from Mexico and at about 4000 feet.

Twelve inches of precipitaion is a good year.... Ours comes in the form of left overs from Monsoons that are heading to Arizona... and Snow in the winter. I will grant you we only get about 72 hours total of snow... it sticks sometimes for over night..

but the rest of the time its wind.... We are talking picking up ANYTHING not tied down and removing it wind. The screens on the house will howl so loud its hard to talk on the phone.

I am doing a rebuild on my coop once I get back upt there... but I have always used tarps year round. In the summer for shade in the winter for what ever precipitation for the elements... I use the heavy ones that are brown on one side and silver on the other.

Sooo right about using bungees... My tarps last two seasons... the other conisideration is to NOT have any pokie bits under the tarps... that will cause wear points. What the Bungees do is allow flex of the attach points so the tarp can move just a bit with the wind.

I also toss a rope over the whole thing making a big X criss crossing to limit the amount of '"Poof" the tarp does. My coop has only two solid walls... One full wall on the prevailing wind side and a half wall for when it switches and comes from the other direction. All open sides have drop down tarps for those days when its very cold...

The waterers do freeze over night but I use black water tubs. they hold about four gallons of water automatically filled by a sock tank float. I just dump them over the ice comes out and they refill.

Horse and goats can crack their own ice.... and do a very good job of it too. 100 gallons for the horse and 80 gallons for the goats.

I build a goat Igloo out of straw bales for winter.... EVERY one loves that both goats and chickens.

My new coop will be more of a Poultry house slash barn to house goats and poultry and store feed for each and for the very first time will have a solid roof. Still no side walls except for one and drop down tarps for bad weather.

deb