The girls are patiently and not so patiently waiting for the Farmer to bring them a fresh, warm, drink of water. Our days have been a constant flurry of breaking ice and hauling water...... replenishing hay mangers, and hauling more water. A cow can drink 20 to 30 gallons of water a day, with several cows, that's a lotsa buckets of water! The goats are a little less demanding. We weathered the deep cold snap pretty well. The main concern is that the animals would be smart enough to migrate to the sheds and stay put. I finally convinced the chickens that they were not snowbirds and that walking barefoot in the snow was less than desirable. No sooner than I would carry a hen back to the coop, another would race through the door to the chicken yard and the new fallen snow. I finally got them all penned up and the door securely shut, not feeling a hint of guilt that they would be on lockdown for a day or two. Under our main barn, the goats have each burrowed a hollow in the hay and dirt, making a comfy nest that is seldom vacated. Even though our goat milk supply is nil, we are grateful that we waited until March for the babies to start their appearance into the world. The cows are another story. For some reason, they just seem inclined to stand out with their rumps to the wind, in the worst weather imaginable, with a secure shed not twenty yards away! Go Figure!! From our Frosty Farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!
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