Winter, ducks, snow/ice storms....bumblefoot

[newbyduckmom]

Well, I have to tell those of you that care for ducks/livestock in areas that have 'real winter' are admirable. My husband asked me what I would do in the winter when I was talking about getting ducks, I said, " Just deal with it". Yep, that's what you do, but I am glad winter events such as we just had are rare around here. We just went through our first 'winter event' with the ducks. Winter event = 12 inches of snow, freezing rain, ice storm, now followed by rain and wind and flooding as we are warming up really quickly. We average maybe 5 inches of snow (maybe) in January total. Last ice storm was 1996 (and I was out of state). Ducks are happier than clams...except I made them stay in their duck houses yesterday in anticipation of the ice storm. 66 hours of no power, no water (no well - we had some reserved but I learned I need a better way to store additional water with the ducks), now a foot of snow melting quickly, and floods and wind to follow. Ducks just love it all....glad I didn't get the chickens I wanted instead of the ducks. Last few days would have been a lot more interesting.

 

[newbyduckmom]

The flock tolerates all the weather excitement better than the humans do!

 

[Miss Lydia]

The flock tolerates all the weather excitement better than the humans do!

That is so cute... I know when it gets bad here I worry so much about my babies, then I go outside and they are all laying around like hey get over it already... LOL

 

[Amiga]

Ah, winter.

Here it´s been mild so far. We had 3 feet of snow by this time last year.

But it´s been nippy (single digits, teens, low twenties F) this week, and tomorrow we´re expecting four to six inches of snow.

I keep some five gallon jerry cans for water storage. This year it´s been nice, since there were a few times I failed to drain the garden hose so we had no outdoor watering. I am much better at remembering to drain the hose now, and I have found that a pitcher of warm (80 - 100F) water thaws the spigots.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ah, winter.

Here it´s been mild so far. We had 3 feet of snow by this time last year.

But it´s been nippy (single digits, teens, low twenties F) this week, and tomorrow we´re expecting four to six inches of snow.

I keep some five gallon jerry cans for water storage. This year it´s been nice, since there were a few times I failed to drain the garden hose so we had no outdoor watering. I am much better at remembering to drain the hose now, and I have found that a pitcher of warm (80 - 100F) water thaws the spigots.

Good for you Amiga, I hate it when I forget to drain the hose...

 

[Hunter0704]

When our electric was off for three days due to a snow storm, we got buckets of snow and brought them inside the house to melt on top of a kerosene heater. It worked great for the duck water and it also took 10 buckets of snow melted to flush toilets. Both reasons for melting snow were in dire need!