We’ve already had a couple of snows in these here parts. However, they were little things that melted quickly. You know, warmups for the NEXT FIVE MONTHS. As someone who never paid a bit of attention to the weather before I acquired animals, I’m all up on the five day forecast now. I know we’re gonna get another little snow, but this time it will come with some COLD days and COLDER nights – like in the teens cold.
So today I spent the afternoon getting the heated waterers situated. The afternoon, you say? Why would it possibly take an entire afternoon? Well…I had some help.
Hey, I remember this thing! If I work really hard I can knock it off the hook!
I constructed a small platform made of 4x4s earlier in the year to keep the water bowls off the ground and out of the straw. Of course, when I built it in July I didn’t factor in the path of the heated bucket electrical cords. So I needed to move the whole platform before I actually got started.
It’s a little wobbly, and high on one end. You’ve got some leveling to do, lady.
Thelma gets to work digging…
Look good to you, Doink? Yep, you’re a good digger, Thelma!
Platform done! (That took the better part of an hour.) I installed a better hook for the bucket. I doubt it will stop Doinkman from figuring out how to knock it over, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
Next task, securing Doink’s water bowl – he loves tipping it over with his snout once or twice a day. I don’t mind washing and refilling the bowls in the summer, but it’s a real pain in the winter when it’s so cold I can’t feel my fingers in my gloves. I made a frame of sorts for the bowl, attached latches and will use carabiners to secure the latches to the platform. All this to thwart the pig!
Without the carabiners it takes him about two seconds to knock it off.
Last task is to get some rebar stakes tomorrow. I will drive them in to hold all four sides of the platform together, lest the pig decides to uproot the entire operation.
Carabiners in place, all nice and clean and orderly…and nice butt, Doink!
Frankly, I give it a day, tops, before something comes unhinged. But I got to spend a few hours on a nice fall day in the barnyard being the head engineer on a construction project with a goat, a pig and a chicken.
It simply does not get any better than that.
(Shared at Clever Chicks Hop, Homesteaders Hop, Homestead Barn Hop, Backyard Farming Connection, Tuesdays With A Twist, HomeAcre Hop and Down Home Hop!)
I’m thinking of the ‘enrichment’ that you provided all of them whilst you worked on your project. I’m amazed that any time I move something to a new place in our barnyard, the animals are entertained for days! Always amazing to me.
They do enjoy something new, don’t they!
Whoa, all the way into the 20’s. It was a balmy 5 at noon today and an invigorating -6 when I got out of hot yoga tonight. It ain’t chicken weather out there. We’re having our first little arctic breakout in Alaska. Believe or not I have next door neighbors that have chickens and other neighbors that have horses. Can you say heated chicken coop? Love your blog Joan.
Rocky – so good to hear from you! I will now think of you with a steaming head, leaving hot yoga and walking into sub-zero cold 🙂 The chickens tolerate the cold much better than the pig. Doink would demand a bedroom in the house in that weather, I’m sure!
Local weatherman says cold winter storm due in later tonight and hanging around til Saturday. We have more prepping to do here in our hood for winter but at least we don’t get snow so hoping we can get more prep done this weekend. Need to build a wind shelter
for the horses.
Love your helpers Joan. Stay warm buddy!
Hope the winter prep went well – I know the horses will appreciate it! It is a balmy 15 degrees at 5pm here on its way down to single digits. The animals often look unhappy in very hot weather, but they were downright miserable looking today!