Teresa & Mike CHS - Our journal

[Mike CHS]

It only got up to 14 degrees today and will be down to 4 degrees tomorrow morning. Water was thawed out 4 times to make sure they had water since there has been no dew on the grass and their water consumption is double what it has been.

I put a 16 ounce water bottle filled with salt water in one of the tanks that is out in full sun. All of the other tanks froze in a few hours as did the one with the water bottle partially but it got enough solar heat to keep part of the water thawed. I'll try it again tomorrow since it's going to be colder yet.

I managed to get one picture of my babies which isn't easy to get by myself since they want to be at or under my legs when I'm out with them. The second picture has been posted before in the middle of September but I thought it would give a good perspective of the pups growth. He is just under 70 lbs this afternoon.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Yeh....it seems so long ago on 1 hand....and just yesterday on the other.....I'm experiencing the same thing with Gabbie and each day is certainly a New day....

 

[Mike CHS]

The obedience work with Thor has paid off big time. We keep the sessions short and fun but partially because of that he responds instantly when I distract him by my ARGGGH growl even when he is way off when he does something silly around the sheep. He gets butted more than Maisy ever did but he stays closer to them most of the time.

 

[farmerjan]

Use 1 cup salt in a gallon jug and fill 1/3 full of water. Float in the water trough. A guy on another forum said his large water trough was staying open with it down to 20*.

If only I had water in the trough to deal with the freezing.....

 

[Baymule]

Tell me about the salt water bottle trick! How much salt to make it float?

Like the parrot in your avatar. Is that y'all's pet parrot?

 

[Baymule]

I busted ice and hauled hot water today 3-4 times. At least it will be gone in a few days.

 

[farmerjan]

Tell me about the salt water bottle trick! How much salt to make it float?

Like the parrot in your avatar. Is that y'all's pet parrot?

See my recipe in the previous post. 1 cup salt in gallon bottle, fill 1/3 full of water to make a "heavy" salt water brine in bottle. Float in water trough. Have had several tell me it works pretty good. All our open troughs are spring fed so the water runs in and out the overflow pretty strong, and the temps would have to stay at Zero for several days before I would have to even start to worry about them. All except for the one where I am now hauling water. Normally that spring runs very slow and it has frozen in the past. BUT you have to have water for it to freeze. I am going to try the salt water bottle in the troughs I am filling when I haul water so that they might stay open longer. I am going to use the heavier laundry detergent bottles rather than say milk gallon bottles so the calves can't bite through them as easily. And the 2 water troughs are black that I am filling so they do absorb any sun that hits them and warms them even a little.

 

[Mike CHS]

Tell me about the salt water bottle trick! How much salt to make it float?

Like the parrot in your avatar. Is that y'all's pet parrot?

That is Max. I was cleaning out some pictures and ran upon that one. Max died last year after (we think) he picked up a bug of some kind when we boarded him while we went to see family right after we retired. He was my buddy for a little over 17 years.

 

[Baymule]

Awww sorry about Max, he sure was pretty.

 

[Bruce]

I missed Max, guess his was a fleeting visit.

Salt water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh. I have to GUESS that floating the bottle is to yield a bit of water movement to keep the ice from freezing around it thus some open water for the animals. It might have a wee bit of solar gain to help as well. I'm guessing stock tank heaters are not practical in locations were the salt water bottle is used, or the temp doesn't go below freezing often or long.