The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[oldhenlikesdogs]

There's talk of snow here, but I'm not too optimistic we will see any. The lows will dip into the 20's here so we have to switch up some buckets to rubber ones, and plug in a few heated buckets and bowls, as well as the stock tank.

 

[speckledhen]

There's talk of snow here, but I'm not too optimistic we will see any. The lows will dip into the 20's here so we have to switch up some buckets to rubber ones, and plug in a few heated buckets and bowls, as well as the stock tank.

My husband put the defrosters under the waterers yesterday. We use two kinds-one is just an old heating pad (w/o shutoff) on the lowest setting; the 3 gal waterers sit on concrete blocks with that heating pad under the waterer. We've used those for years. The other is a dark color-painted bucket that sits upside down (they have tops) and there is an electrical cord going into it, with a socket holding a very low wattage light bulb inside, the old fashioned incandescent type that actually puts out heat (25-40w, tops). It works fine, have used those for years as well, but won't get them out unless we need more stations than we have working heating pads.
With fewer occupied pens now, we generally only need the heating pads, none of the buckets. The water in the barn never freezes unless the night temps are teens or single digits. Then, it generally just gets a skim of ice on the surface of the water in the tray. If it gets that frigid, we just turn the heating pad to the next highest setting.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I didn't used to use heated bowls and buckets but it's getting too hard to crack ice out of too many rubber bowls. I still do a few bowls that freeze, but have many on hand so I can just let them pile up until husband can take care of them for me. Keeping everything watered all winter is the one thing that slows me down, and makes me mindful of how many I can care for.

 

[speckledhen]

I didn't used to use heated bowls and buckets but it's getting too hard to crack ice out of too many rubber bowls. I still do a few bowls that freeze, but have many on hand so I can just let them pile up until husband can take care of them for me. Keeping everything watered all winter is the one thing that slows me down, and makes me mindful of how many I can care for.

I imagine it's a royal pain where you are. We did hit single digits last winter and I do recall being 2* once and 0* once in all the time we've lived here. Not something I want to repeat. My husband despises cold and I hate both heat and cold. I guess there's nowhere on earth I can live, then, LOL.
As we get older, we want less and less of the really stressful weather. It would be easier if we didn't have to care for livestock, of course, but I guess I'd be a lump all winter if I didn't have to drag myself to the barn for my chickens.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I do like getting out daily and moving around. I have been caring for animals since I was about 6 or 7. It seems to be a hard habit to break. At least now I don't need to keep farmer hours. I sure hated getting up at 5 am to milk cows. Winter morning were so cold even in the house. The wood stove never seemed to heat my bedroom upstairs very well and I would have frost on the walls and could see my breath.

I don't like cold either, but prefer it over heat. I can tolerate cold temperatures way better than hot. I literally melt at anything over 75 degrees.

 

[speckledhen]

I don't like cold either, but prefer it over heat. I can tolerate cold temperatures way better than hot. I literally melt at anything over 75 degrees.

Me, too!! I can bundle up to get warm but you can't exactly strip to cool off. Can you imagine the sunburn? Nah, I like my sweaters. Our house stays really cool most all winter but to be fair, I don't crank up the heat pump so I can pay my bill without much pain.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Me, too!! I can bundle up to get warm but you can't exactly strip to cool off. Can you imagine the sunburn? Nah, I like my sweaters. Our house stays really cool most all winter but to be fair, I don't crank up the heat pump so I can pay my bill without much pain.

I don't go above 65 in winter. Nights and all day are 61 of 62. I can heat my house all winter on one tank of propane. Cheaper than I can cool it all summer.

 

[1muttsfan]

Well I'm getting a little older now and turn my heat all the way up to 67 during the day if I am home. But it's 62 the rest of the time.

They have mentioned the S-word here too.

I have a heated base and use a metal waterer, and am very happy with it; no fire concerns, and with the brutal cold temps we get here I know the girls will have water no matter what.

 

[speckledhen]

My husband is too cold at 68-70* so that's where the heat pump stays. I think this is the second winter with this new one. It was better than the original built in 1993 so more cost effective. We've passed the lowest electric bill of the year already. I think it was about $125. The highest ever was over $300 last January. We cook with gas. I like the in-between seasons where we don't need fans or defrosters in the barn.
If I had only one pen, I'd get a heated base. There are four 3-gal ones in use right now. I am looking forward to that one pen after all these years. At one time there were seven. Actually, now that you mention it, I may get one for at least the Omega Rocks.

Not ready for snow! I hope we have a low-snow year. I haven't been a fan of it since I was a kid, especially the muddy aftermath. Can't avoid it in Wisconsin or Michigan, though, right?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Can't avoid it in Wisconsin or Michigan, though, right?

Last year we barely got any snow and it kept melting off. I'm not sure which to root for. Both has it's advantages. Because of the mild winter we are seeing very large bucks here with big antlers.