SNOW IN TEXAS!!

[goatgurl]

I only have to go 60-80 feet for the sheep and goats and yes I would have loved to use to mower and trailer except for the fact that my mower, aka mini tractor, died week before last and not only won't crank but it just sits there making no sound at all, dead, kapoot, darn thing!! that was a day after my tv died. won't kill me to carry water but I still don't like it. to old for this kind of crap!

 

[Baymule]

All of you suffering with carrying water, how far do you have to go and could you maybe tote it with a riding mower and a trailer?

That would annoy me more than toting the buckets. Maybe if I wasn't able to carry the bucket, it might be an option. But I am able and will continue to do so.

 

[Simpleterrier]

Carrying water? I use a hose and have tank heaters hores and mule share with the steer. And the goats get their own. Just carry a gallon to the chickens and one to the dog twice a day. U just have to make sure u drain the hose . I drag it down the hill and even on cold cold days if u do it right it won't freeze.

Worst thing u can do is carry hot water to your animals. There is no reason for it. Actually it is worse unless it is to try to melt ice

 

[Baymule]

It is to melt the ice. Since we seldom have this kind of weather, all the heated hoses, bowls and tubs don't make a lot of sense. What you deal with on a daily basis is a BIG DEAL here!

 

[kuwaiti-90]

@kuwaiti-90 the horses grow a winter coat, in cold weather it fluffs out, trapping their body heat. They have the choice of shelter in their barn or being outside. Same with the sheep. They have free access to their shelter and choose when to be in or out of it. I have a small fence around it and can close them up at night if I feel it is needed. The Great Pyrenees dogs guard them.

32Fis at freezing. For the city of Tyler, that we live near, the cold record has been broken. It got down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The recorded lowest temperature was 11 degrees Fahrenheit in 1957.

The high today is to be 44F and that will melt most if not all the snow. It does not snow every year here, the state, towns and cities do not have snow equipment to clear the roads. So we just stay home and do not get out on the roads. Yesterday I cleared ice and snow from our vehicles so we can go out today. It will go back down to 18F tonight, up to 50F tomorrow and tomorrow night the low will be 30F degrees. Then we will be through with freezing weather for awhile!

We have kept the water on in the house, it did not freeze. But I cut off the water to all outside faucets and drained them. At least now we know that the pipes are good down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, 22 degrees below freezing!

It is good for us to talk to each other and learn about each other's lives and how we care for our animals!

Our barn.

View attachment 42473

Hello Bay ,
It is good that you take good care of us as we enter the horses in all places and wear a warm cover, in the morning outside.

Sheep and young goats have a warm, dedicated place.
Our temperature is measured in Celsius up to minus ( -7 C ) and the cold is very dry (enters the bone) opposite you will be wet cold weather.

I also love to take advantage of your information and exchange information with you

 

[kuwaiti-90]

Is that 0°C or 0°F??
In either case, I am ignorant enough that I would have bet it never got anywhere near that cold in Kuwait!

We measure grades in Celsius, on the contrary, ask any questions you have for me...

 

[Bruce]

I only have to go 60-80 feet for the sheep and goats and yes I would have loved to use to mower and trailer except for the fact that my mower, aka mini tractor, died week before last and not only won't crank but it just sits there making no sound at all, dead, kapoot, darn thing!! that was a day after my tv died. won't kill me to carry water but I still don't like it. to old for this kind of crap!

My GT was starting fine all summer, but it isn't liking the cold weather. Probably needs a new battery. Not something I want to do in really cold weather so I hook up the battery charger on "fast charge" every time I want to start it. Works OK most of the time but one day it was so cold even that didn't work, nor did the "engine start" mode (several attempts). So I dragged out the big AMP marine battery and jumped the tractor with that. Been OK with the charger since. I'm hoping the battery will last through the summer and I can get a new one for next winter.

 

[greybeard]

Carrying water? I use a hose and have tank heaters hores and mule share with the steer. And the goats get their own. Just carry a gallon to the chickens and one to the dog twice a day. U just have to make sure u drain the hose . I drag it down the hill and even on cold cold days if u do it right it won't freeze.

Worst thing u can do is carry hot water to your animals. There is no reason for it. Actually it is worse unless it is to try to melt ice

I do the same here with one 125gal trough that has an exposed 150' hose running to it, except I have no hill to drain down from.
Break the ice, toss the biggest chunks out with a pitchfork or manure fork.
Fill the tank.
Turn the water off.
Disconnect the hose from the faucet.
Pick the hose up at the faucet end, lay it over my shoulder and slowly walk toward the other end, sliding the hose across my shoulder to the rear and let it fall behind me as I go. Hose will be completely empty when I get to the other end.
Protect the faucet from freezing or let it drip so it doesn't freeze.
Other than the time it takes filling the tank, the whole event takes less than 15 minutes. Just be careful not to kink or sharply bend the cold hose when you're draining it.

Next morning or if needed, that afternoon, hook the hose back up to the faucet and fill the tank and drain it again when you're done..

This works and I been doing it a long long time.
I'll be 68 years old in a few months. Have never once carried water for livestock.

 

[Simpleterrier]

Atta boy @greybeard I've done it that way to. I just have a good hill to lay them on now.

 

[Bruce]

Probably works better in relatively warm TX than cold places. I needed to drain my pressure tank in January a couple of years ago. Connected the hose, ran it all the way out (and it was downhill). Opened the guillotine valve. Water started coming out the end. Until it froze IN the hose outside.