I don't know how you farmers in the northern areas do it; we are having temperatures in the 20s, strong winds and sleet - and it's awful! We are not set up for any such weather. I spent most of yesterday afternoon turning off the water to the barn and pastures - three separate systems, and draining the pipes so that they won't all be broken. I thought I had done a good job of pipe draining back when it froze in December, but I still had to replace a fitting that cracked on one of the pasture trough float valves ( that must be enough nouns used as adjectives to satisfy anyone) and a short section of pipe at the wash rack. I wonder what I failed to do this time...
All the animals are getting extra hay, a few of the pensioner horses are blanketed and there is one that has to come in soon for his daily re-hab therapy. And the latches on the pasture gates are, of course, all frozen shut. I shouldn't have to endure our sweltering, humid summers only to be frozen solid in the winter. All I want to do is hibernate.

It sounds like a heck of a lot of work, Pork. Hope it's all ok for you. We are having the same weather, but only have a dog to worry about now. I remember how it was back when we had horses.

It's been a very unusual winter for all of us. Coldest so far was 12 below, unlike many winters where we have a spell of minus 22 or so. All water pipes are berried below the frost line to prevent freezing here. We also use the frostless water spigots to prevent freezing. Lots of heat tapes, and tank water heaters. It's always nice when the temps get above freezing and I don't have to pound ice out of water buckets.

Porkpal, you should have put a link in the November thread that you had moved so we would have known we had moved. I just found it while snooping for something else. :greengrin:

No, I am not,particularly impressed with your Texas weather, especially since we are so far south, only about 60 miles from South Padre Island. We are leaving today for home. God only knows what weather we will encounter on the trip back, and He's not telling.

Bought a large bag each of the navel oranges and red grapefruit. The GF are amazing.....so sweet that the SU even likes them. He is not a fan of them at all.

Saw lots of tilled fields, and some with stuff coming up in rows. I could not tell what it was.....very dark green. Beautiful produce in the grocery store. I will love having it when we are down here next winter.

Where will you stay next winter, Anna? I'm betting you will not miss the milking jobs!

Big Country rv park in Donna, Texas.

Don't do that much milking any more in winter.

I'll have to look it up. I don't think we've been through Donna, tX.

This pretty much describes me and my life for the last year or so before we quit milking. It was just sucking the life out of me.


https://www.facebook.com/CureJ...

Since it isn't January anymore, I took the liberty of moving us. We are here now........


The thread "Farming in April, 2018" in Farming forum