It's going to be COLD !!

[PrettyPaisley]

I know, it's all relative. But going to be cold here for us. Like record cold.

My cows have never felt this kind of cold. Neither have the hogs. The goats and dogs will go in the barn. The chickens will have heat lights. What about the cows and hogs? I really, really don't have a way to keep them in the barn safely now that I have hung some rabbit cages in the last free area we had. What can I do to keep them warm? Should I start a fire or something in the pasture and keep it going ? I have some really hugs logs I would love to burn but I don't know if that is very realistic. I just don't want them to freeze.

[VERN in IL]

11 F RIGHT NOW with wind gust of 21mph, wind chill is -8 right now...

we got about 6in of snow, way less than expected. Power lines down in the Effingham area, wind is knocking wires off poles....

[65284]

PP, if your animals have an adequate amount of body fat, and I don't mean fat fat just not skinny, and some sort of shelter from the wind they will be okay. They don't have to be inside, a wind break can be as simple as the lee side of a barn or building, a grove of trees or even a draw.

[Callieslamb]

They will find the most comfy place for them. They won't be gaining any weight in this. Do they have any trees to get under or near? Are the milk cows? There might be an issue with frozen teats in this cold.

[Clod Kicker]

I wonder if vaseline works on a cow's teats like it does on a chicken's comb? Prevents frostbite.

[Brighton]

I would worry more about them being wet than just cold, cold most can handle for a couple of days, wet and cold, not so much.

You might put some thought into a bigger better laid out barn for future winters, or not have so many animals than you have shelter for.

If it was me, I would move the rabbits into one corner, put something in front of them, pallets or a cattle panel, and bring them all in. A bonfire in the pasture is going to do you no good what so ever!!

[farmerDale]

Well what kind of temps? What is record cold for you? I can't give much advice as a cold weather fellow, unless we know what temps you are talking about.

Animals are resilient. If they have a draft free, wind free place to hang out, it would take a lot to kill them.

I understand your situation is much different than mine where the critters have a month or two of steadily dropping temps to harden off, to grow a winter coat, etc. in time for te coldest weather.

For here, my animals going from -20 to -40, would scarcely notice the difference. But if you are going from say 30 to -10, it would be much harder on them.

Like you said it is all relative. And I do not think your cold snap is going to last long is it? IMO, do not start a fire, unless your livestock is trained and used to sitting around roasting marshmallows. Most stock would flee the fire.

[rambler]

Well, what do you consider cold? And what is a normal low temp? And I will assume the cattle and hogs are used to being outside and used tot he normal low, whatever that is?

My cattle have access to a barn pen, open door. But most will choose to stay outside in the weather in my picture. Here.

Now, this is cold.

In worried a bit, but we have had minus 15 and minus 17 the two previous weeks. And my cattle are used to being outside, not thrown out suddenly.

And they have shelter from the wind.

And it is dry out, they are not wet.

And they have access to all the hay they want to eat.

So I think they will be ok.

I would not start a fire, no way.

I would make sure they were out of the wind, and had all the hay they wanted.

I suspect they will be much happer with whatever you consider cold, than they feel when it is very warm a d humid in summer.

Cattle can handle cold much easier than hot, with a few considerations.

Paul

[MNSteader]

I would think they would be just fine out where they are. Mine are out in -20 to -30 right now and they have plenty of hay. We are in northern MN. They will hunker down and ride it out. We don't have any shelter other than some swales and the round hay bales. They are used to this and are fuzzy with their winter coats. Just make sure they have plenty to eat and they will stay warm! Hopefully the cold snap won't last too long.

[fellini123]

Yup PrettyPaisley I know just how you feel. My horsies are cold too!! LOL
Everyone is talking about accilmating to the cold weather. It was in the 70s two weeks ago, now -3.
I know the horses will be fine, they are out eating hay right now. Even though they are wet from all the rain today, I felt them and the outside is wet, but underneath all that fur their skin is dry. So I'm not that worried.
I'm sure your cows will be fine.
Alice in Virginia

[ufo_chris]

I think the pigs would get cold...can u get them in ?
I read once that a pig feels cold like a person in a t-shirt .

[swamp man]

if they can get out of the north wind and have some hay or stray to get snuggly in, they'll be fine.

[countryfied2011]

It was 58 here yesterday and right now the temp says 10 with windchill below 0. Horses are in the barn, Jerseys are in their lean to which is connected to the barn with a brand new round bale of hay, rabbits covered and snuggled in hay, chickens in their barn.

As others have said, if they can stay out of the wind and have plenty of hay to eat they should be fine.

[Tricky Grama]

Prayers & good thoughts for all in the extreme temps.

[ceresone]

High here in the Ozarks is predicted to be 4 with a wind chill of -28. Only animals I couldnt put up are the horses, and they have a barn with 3 sides, and piles of hay.

[bowdonkey]

It is cold. Last night they called off todays hockey game. -30 again, I think my thermometer gets stuck there and won't go any lower. I hope it gets a little warmer for this www.GreatLakesPondHockey.com

[littlebitfarm]

-11 here, don't know what the wind chill is now. Last night the wind was really blowing. I locked the sheep and horses into the big shed. 30' x 30'. East side open and 12' doorway on the west side. Snow everywhere! moved the 2 mares into a horse stall, little more protected. Figured the sheep would settle down along the north wall or around the big round bale I moved in there for them.

Went down for chores this morning and everyone appears fine. Put the horses back out with the sheep since I also put a big heated water tank out there and that is easier than messing with the buckets. I'm pleased with how they appear!

[chickenista]

NC just doesn't see wind chills in the negative numbers like we will tonight and tomorrow.
Lows in the single digits with 30 mph winds is very, very rare.

I know my fig trees are toast and I fear we may lose the apple trees too.
I expect some of the older birds that were slated for the freezer anyway will succumb.
Heat lamps going into the potting shed for my plants and in the bunny house for the rabbits, but there is not much we can do for the big old barn.

We plan on just trying to keep parts of the house above freezing.
We have the woodstove for the front part and a propane worksite heater thingie to run in the kitchen from time to time.
I will be cooking on the woodstove and just avoiding the back of the house until bedtime. Brrrrr.

Luckily it is only for about 36 hours and then we warm back up.

Oh and we have had a slow soaking rain for the past day or so. Hopefully having wet ground (which holds heat better and radiates slower than dry ground) may keep it from freezing too deeply. So maybe the apple trees and the septic line will stay unfrozen.
A frozen septic line would be NO fun at all.

I wouldn't worry. After all, they're wearing fur coats. On the other hand, if I was really and truly worried, I'd bring them in the house. Can't have it both ways.

[Maura]

Those animals have a large body mass, which helps them to retain heat. As the weather has become colder and colder, they also create brown fat on their back. This brown fat produces heat. If they went from a hot summer directly into a frozen winter, they would have some trouble, but the weather gets cold gradually. Because the nights have been long, they have stopped shedding, so they have more fur than they did in the summer.

So, as others have written, a wind break is all they need.