Yesterday was a rough one

MissPrissy

Crowing
Premium Feather Member
12 Years
May 7, 2007
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Forks, Virginia
Yesterday was one of those days we worked from mid-morning until dark, accomplished a lot in the big scheme of things but ended the day overly tired and muscles aching.

When the weather dips below freezing it adds to our chores. When the weather dips below 0 it really adds to our chores.

All water outside freezes. And it doesn't thaw.

Two times yesterday we had to haul water from the house to the barns.

That is our day yesterday and we did this twice -

4 - 2 liter bottles for rabbit pens
25 gallons of water for the goats
20 gallons of water for the sheep
20 gallons of water for the pigs
5 gallons of water for ducks
5 gallons of water for geese
5 gallons of water for turkeys
5 - 5 gallon waterers for chickens
5 - 1 gallon waterers for chickens

Everyone needed twice the hay for the calories.

Then we hauled bedding for the geese, ducks and pigs.

We had to make a feed run in the middle of the day. I was sooooo tempted to buy several water heaters for the chicken barn. But I didn't. The temps are predicted to climb up to 40 today. We'll carry water at least once today.

Thank heavens the deep freeze was short lived.

If the thought of ending up homeless from a hurricane didn't terrify me to death I think I would move to south Florida.
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Thats a lot of water hauling MP.

I know how you feel.

I built a new barn and hired a fella to run a water line from my house to the barn. It is about 400 feet. He dug the trench, weather got cold, he hasn't been back since cold weather came I got a open trench, my wife forgot was there and fell in a few weeks ago.

I am hauling water by the buckets as well......but not as much as you are.

Cheer up....better days are coming!
 
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It's been several degrees shy of pleasant around here as well. The actual low temperature for yesterday was -14. You're right about that working hard and not feeling like you've gotten much done. Wind was blowing hard all day yesterday and everytime I'd go out I'd have to shovel again. I had a couple of BYC members pm me for pictures and plans of a rollout nest I've built, but when I got their pms I was just to tired to face going out to my shop to get them, but I will send them today. I'm glad you've got better weather in store. We've still got a couple of months before we see much weather in the 40 degree range. I always look forward to reading your posts and appreciate your opinions and advice. Stay warm, Sam
 
What made it seem worse was that is was 8 degrees most of the day. That meant every once in a while (ha! I kid! every HOUR!) one of us had to suit up, walk out to the field and bust the ice on the stock tanks. I have never seen these things freeze that fast. Also the ice was at least 5 inches thick when we broke it for the morning.

Thank you, Sam! That made me smile.

In seriously long cold climates under freezing conditions that lasts for months how do you people way up north deal with stock tanks and keeping flowing water for the stock to drink?
 
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We had 300 head of brood cows, they require a lot of water and it is a big plus for it to be warm. Our main tank in the winter time was actually a concrete one about 6' wide and 16 feet long 2 1/2- 3 feet deep (made a nice quick place for a quick dip in the summertime heat) we had a 55 gal type tank (drum) sitting on edge with some steel fence post welded to the bottom and rocks piled on them to keep the 55 gal tank from floating up. The 55 gal drum was about 3/4 submerged in said water tank and the top had a round 6" hole cut out to fit a stove pipe to it ....and another rectangular hole to fill it with firewood

So we kept the ice out, and water warm by using firewood.
 
Floating stock tank heaters to a pretty fair job but it's still alot of work. Several years ago we used to have 8 horses of our own and would board up to 22. All in box stalles. Some days it seemed like toting water was all we did.
 
Prissy, Virginia is much nicer than Florida, don't move.

We invested in a thermostatically controlled base for the chickies water, have not had a problem with water freezing so can't help you there. We are in Michigan so the cold/snow/ice lasts at least 5 months.

If memory serves me (as it usually does not) when it would freeze in the South the only option for watering stock was to break the ice.

Look at the bright side, Virginia has 4 distinct seasons.
 
I understand, though we don't have very many animals left.

DH called while I was on my route yesterday and told me the boys were trying to water (were able to do that) and fill the ducks pond with warm water (b/c it was frozen) and we ran out of water! Lost electricity twice, too.

Got the water back, but not until shortly before I got home from work and after I went to get the key for my dads house so we could go spend the night there in case we lost power again.

Wugh.
 
Sounds like my luck, Asher.

Until moving up here I never really thought about livestock and water issues.

Daddy had an 18 acre pond at the farm and everything went there for a drink. As a kid I guess I assumed everything worked that way.

I keep asking my dh to build me a small pond.

And asking.

And asking.

And asking.

*sigh*
 
I'd love one, but we don't have room and I doubt I'll ever get the farm that I want.

I will say that the ponds that I saw on my route yesterday had lots of ice so not sure how good they would have been for a water source. They were definitely not 18 acre ponds, though. That sounds lovely!!!

I think it got down to 5 yesterday which is wicked cold for us here in Western NC. It's 31 this morning and we're feeling warm compared to yesterday!
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