Preparing for Winter

How is everyone getting ready for winter? I am getting my heat lamps out, making sure electrical cords are operational. Stuffing holes in the barn with old blankets for insulation, counting my bales to make sure I have enough. Oh but I am still looking for my winter boots. lol Lou

I'm processing roosters, stocking up on feed, and keeping my fingers crossed for a mild winter!!! We condense all our "breeding flocks" into a few main areas, as we don't have enough proper barns for everyone when separated, and I don't like over wintering birds in tractors. I want it to be spring already!!

About the same here. Busy sorting everyone into the 2 big buildings I house them in for winter. Setting up an outside run off the small end of my duck house for my bantam ducks, and extending the pen for my other ducks since I seem to have more than last year.
Still have about 35 roosters to process, hopefully soon.
Plugging holes in miscellaneous spots that have popped open over the summer, putting straw into the coops, purchasing smaller square straw for winter bedding between clean outs.
All this while I have a HUGE track hoe in the center of my yard digging in my water line to our new well...All needs to get done but seems like it all happens at once. And now I am going to have to do my chores around a bunch of open trenches for a couple days. Hopefully we dont lose any birds or cats in there...

has any one used thoses heated pans that you can put the large plastic or galvanized waters on and it keeps the water from freezing? I am thinking about trying one out this year.

I am still in denial about winter but we had major frost this morning with a small layer of ice on most water. I guess this weekend I will be breaking out the heated tubs and the submersable heaters!

I too want spring!

Anne

Fire wood is in the shed , yard cleaned up , Extra roosters will be going on the one way trip soon , barn almost ready ? Yep If it snows now , I'm almost there !

Well, winter is here and I am not ready (as usual!). We were -9C this morning and it has only warmed up to 0! I have to get the waters organised, I thought I would have a few more weeks to be really ready for this cold. It really sucks, but I have to pull my finger out now.
It is good to hear what everyone else is getting done, it is good motivation for me.

fuzzylittlefriend wrote:has any one used thoses heated pans that you can put the large plastic or galvanized waters on and it keeps the water from freezing? I am thinking about trying one out this year.

I am still in denial about winter but we had major frost this morning with a small layer of ice on most water. I guess this weekend I will be breaking out the heated tubs and the submersable heaters!

I too want spring!

Anne

We used those all last year, we did home made ones but same idea. Worked well.
The only thing I found is the plastic fonts did start to ice up inside up higher in the font, the metal fonts conduct the heat all the way up and stay thawed better, but both worked pretty good till -20, any colder and the plastic ones didnt do so well.

I am trying to be in denial about winter coming on. It's not working. I dumped the duck water (a 15 gallon black rubber feeder) tonight and found an awful lot of ice. This is my first winter with ducks (I only have two) and I'm wondering what to do about water for them. Can I use a submersible heater in their little pool? Can I use it one in those black rubber feeders?

fuzzylittlefriend wrote:has any one used thoses heated pans that you can put the large plastic or galvanized waters on and it keeps the water from freezing? I am thinking about trying one out this year.

I am still in denial about winter but we had major frost this morning with a small layer of ice on most water. I guess this weekend I will be breaking out the heated tubs and the submersable heaters!

I too want spring!

Anne

I use the heated bases but they only work with the metal waterers and they are great

I am so lucky this year all my peafowl are moving to a HUGE heated building for the winter, all the hens ( chickens ) are moving to, the roos and the guineas have to tough it out. Will also be selective breeding some of the better chickens through the winter now and getting eggs from ________.

It is hard not to be in denial about winter, but it is coming. Frozen waterers here today as well, and cold already tonight. Had to pull out my long undies this am to get some work done...I feel like I have been running all summer trying to get ready for this and it still seems there is so much to do.
I am glad I am not the only one...
I have a dozen or so hose wrapped up today, and a couple more to do once everything thaws out again tomorrow.

DCChick wrote:I am trying to be in denial about winter coming on. It's not working. I dumped the duck water (a 15 gallon black rubber feeder) tonight and found an awful lot of ice. This is my first winter with ducks (I only have two) and I'm wondering what to do about water for them. Can I use a submersible heater in their little pool? Can I use it one in those black rubber feeders?

We used a small floating deicer in one of those large black rubber tubs last year and it worked well, I wanted the floating one so they wouldn;t keep swimming when it was cold out but they managed to squeeze in one at a time beside it anyhow some days, they had ice on their outer feathers some times but seemed to be quite happy and we only had to top up the water each day (and clean it out every couple days or so) but it worked well.

Thank you! I have two plastic ones I thought about using it with. The only metal one I have Os only two gallons and too small for gen pop. We tend not to have too much cold past minus 20 but it's been known to happen.

Well I broke out my new winter boots tonight. I splureged on a pair of blue floral bogs a few weeks ago. My feet look part avatar

I think my next plan is to stop wearing my yoga style Capri pants with a hole in the butt outside to do chores in! Out come the winter fleece pants! The neighbours will be appreciative for sure

I have one of those metal pans that the water sits on, it was like $100 or so, think I bought it at Buckerfields, Country West had them about $15 cheaper . The lowest temperature last winter was -17, the water did not freeze, but it was in a 5 gallon galvanized drinker. I have a five gallon plastic one. That one is on the dog waterer. It was about $45 and works like a charm too. I put water in the dog waterer bowl, plug it in and that five gallon plastic waterer sits on the dog bowl. The water in the dog bowl keeps toasty warm and the water does not freeze one little bit, not even partly way up. I have a 3 gallon plastic waterer, that has a heated base built into it. I love it, but it sucks to fill it up. You have to turn it upside down and put the water in through the hole in the bottom, which has a plug. But turning that sucker right-sideup up and not spilling water out is an impossible task. I would not buy that one again, but have to make do with it, think it was like $35 or so. Bad design, but keeps the water thawed for sure. My Husband had made me another one which I use. It is basically a light bulb attached to a board and a coffee can with a small hole in the top sitting over the light bulb. It was properly made, my Husband has great knowledge of electricity so would ensure that it is a safe thing for me. The coffee can is attached to the board somehow, not sure what you call those things, maybe screws, that are attached to the can. Hard to explain. It works like a hot dam too. So I am ready for winter with water.

We had -1 the night before last, a few flurries yesterday, clouds came in, warmed up a bit and rained for a couple of hours last night. It is foggy outside, I saw some stars and it is freakin' getting cold again. The temperature on my porch last night at 5:00 was 3 degrees (all celsius), getting cold.

Gardens are done. All the produce that has been sitting in the big huge fridge of the great outdoors, covered at night with towels, in the event of freeze have been yesterday, all washed and much of it beginning to be processed.

Today I have to cook the big pot of beets, let that cool, skin, cut up and freeze, the parsnips are going into a big pot too, same thing happening to them, the swiss chard yesterday was all processed, ready to food saver bag thing today, carrots washed and put in the fridge, all other produce has been taken care of already. Think I am ready for the winter as far as the gardens go. Right, gotta peel that horseradish and then figure out what to do with it.....nice small roots made this year, I was surprised, it was basically not much more than a hunk o small root when we moved here the June before last.

Been helping my Daughter do the fall cut down of the many elderberry bushes. I picked all the black elderberries and picked them off the stalks and those berries are in the freezer. Waiting for the day when I do something with them. Lots of shrubs around here that some needed pruning and lots of leaves picked up, which my Grandsons helped to do. Still tons more to pick up. All the hoses have been rolled up and stored, looking pretty nice and clean and hopefully won't lose anything in the snow. We know it is coming, it is just a matter of time. Get ready for winter for surely. And..have a beautiful day, CynthiaM.

Ahhhh winter preparations....

Our chicken coop, is pretty much ready to go. It's well insulated. I have lights going for the laying. Soon I will need to gather up all those rubber containers I like to use in winter because it's easy to beat the ice out of them. The heat light is in the chicken house, but doesn't need to be over the water yet. I have it over some chicks, who could probably get by without it now, but, I like them to be warm. Hubby was already complaining about it going this morning... lol. We have both some hay and peat for winter.

Where I live, we try and stock up on things this time of year. Pretty soon, we won't be able to drive up to our door anymore, and will have to park across the river and pack everything across on the cable car (Arial car) home. Every thing that we bring will have to be carried, so you think twice about all winter purchases. Not only that. The cable car is quite small, so there are some things that you won't get home until spring. So I want to get all the heavy stuff now I can.

I have some bags of feed, but would like more. I've got my DE, and oyster shell, too. The only thing is the expense to buy 7 months of feed at once. You just have to do what you can. The Turkeys all went to the freezer a few days ago. I want the useless roosters gone yesterday. And we still have to butcher the pigs.

Our freezer is getting full with the Turkeys, meat birds, and moose. The Pigs will top it off and we wont have to buy meat, I think.

The other day, I went and picked up 10 bags of flour and lots of pasta, rice and stuff. We still need to get in some bags of sugar, and the canned tomatoes stuff. Then we should be good. I hope. LOL. It's hard and expensive to get enough goods to last until perhaps next May. But we do what we can, now.

I've done lots of canning this summer/fall so that will help out some.

Then we can snuggle down for a lovely quiet winter... I'm thinking that it will be a long one with lots of snow, if I go by what I see the bears doing and all the rain we've had the entire summer and fall...

Silkiebantam, I recall your pictures of your cable car, and things that go on at your place in the wintertime. It is a time of shutting down, hibernating. What a job to get all the supplies you will need for so many months. You should thank your lucky stars that you are as good a cook as you are. You will grace your family's table with your homebaked goodies and lots of meat and vegetables. Lots of rice I bet. What do you do for potatoes? How do you store them? Do you use a lot of potatoes or rely on pastas and rice. I am rather curious about this. I would imagine you do get to the stores now and then, is that when you get potatoes. Please elaborate on this, I am just so curious about some things. sounds like you have readied mostly and that is a good thing.

Honestly. I don't think I could live that lifestyle that you do. I am too "city" oriented. In that I love to drive to the towns so often. I love to look around as I am driving and find driving such a relaxing thing. I could not do remoteness wherein I couldn't get out to drive all over the place. So, dear gal, I certainly take my hat off to you. I do envy that lifestyle, but at the same time, don't think I could do it, you go girl. And bake and cook your little brains out this winter with all the food that you have stored, such a wonderful and beautiful thing. Have a most beautiful day, CynthiaM. (do your children all go to the same school? Do they have different hours of school than others that can more easily access the school? Again, just curious ol' me askin' a whole lotta questions

we had our first frosst 2 weeks ago and probably wont stop till spring. I am going t oput the bedding down for winter this winter.

Hidden River wrote:It is hard not to be in denial about winter, but it is coming. Frozen waterers here today as well, and cold already tonight. Had to pull out my long undies this am to get some work done...I feel like I have been running all summer trying to get ready for this and it still seems there is so much to do.
I am glad I am not the only one...
I have a dozen or so hose wrapped up today, and a couple more to do once everything thaws out again tomorrow.

yes Ive been know to don a pair of long undies as well in October..sure makes everything outside seem a bit easier when you are warm...
My best advice for winter is silk underwear from Landsend and alpaca socks handmade by Lanaire ranching...

Is silk warm? Do you mean like long underwear? I donned my double lined jeans yesterday when I went out to let the birds out, and thankin' my lucky stars that I did, it was very cold!! Have a wonderful and great day, CynthiaM.

Is alpaca wool itchy like sheep wool? I love wool socks, but the only ones that I have worn drove me nuts to distraction from the itchiness. I can't wear them, unless someone knows something that I bought that was not right.....

Well, I have been surprised and unprepared! We were -10C this morning, after -9C yesterday morning. It didn`t get much above 0 yesterday and we had very light flurries. Not really snow, but enough to shock me into action!
I was leaving the last beets and carrots because they were a little small and I thought I would have a little time. The chickens got the beets yesterday and I couldn`t get the carrots out. The ground was just to frozen. There is a few other odds and sodds they will get like the cabbage bottoms and the brussel sprouts that didn`t quite make it. They will love the left over spinach and lettuce as well. As you can tell, my garden is not prepared for winter yet. I really thought I would have a couple of weeks to do it still. Not!
I will have to check the waterers today and see if the plastic one, like the one CynthiaM has, is working. I just put a heat lamp over the others, but I think I will get the heated bases for my metal waterers. I just wish they were not as expensive. The plastic ones are a pain to fill.
I am so not ready for it to be this cold so soon. We weren`t this cold until December last year. I am so not looking forward to this winter!!!!! I think it is going to be very long and very cold.

Silkiebantam, I admire your organisation. It sounds like a very big job for you to get ready for winter. Good thing you do not procrastinate like I have done this year. It must be a great feeling when it is all done though. Like you say, just snuggle in and wait for it to be over.
I know some of you enjoy winter, I just happen to hate being cold and it doesn`t seem to matter what I dress like when it is really cold, I am just not ever warm. Probably all in my head.

CynthiaM wrote:Is silk warm? Do you mean like long underwear? I donned my double lined jeans yesterday when I went out to let the birds out, and thankin' my lucky stars that I did, it was very cold!! Have a wonderful and great day, CynthiaM.

Is alpaca wool itchy like sheep wool? I love wool socks, but the only ones that I have worn drove me nuts to distraction from the itchiness. I can't wear them, unless someone knows something that I bought that was not right.....

ah silk, a wonderful natural insulator and the best part is they don't feel bulky under your jeans, actually they fit better cos they slide smoothly over them...they are not as durable as thermals but the warmth factor is amazing for something so light, and I don't overheat when I keep them on in the house for a bit..

And Alpaca wool...yes definitely better than sheeps wool, not itchy or scratchy, I love them. Chantecler_eh? bought me some at the IPE last year then another pair made by Claire at Lanaire Ranching and they are wonderful! I have just ordered some from her for Christmas presents this year as I think they are amazing as well as beautiful...

silkiebantam wrote:Ahhhh winter preparations....

Our chicken coop, is pretty much ready to go. It's well insulated. I have lights going for the laying. Soon I will need to gather up all those rubber containers I like to use in winter because it's easy to beat the ice out of them. The heat light is in the chicken house, but doesn't need to be over the water yet. I have it over some chicks, who could probably get by without it now, but, I like them to be warm. Hubby was already complaining about it going this morning... lol. We have both some hay and peat for winter.

Where I live, we try and stock up on things this time of year. Pretty soon, we won't be able to drive up to our door anymore, and will have to park across the river and pack everything across on the cable car (Arial car) home. Every thing that we bring will have to be carried, so you think twice about all winter purchases. Not only that. The cable car is quite small, so there are some things that you won't get home until spring. So I want to get all the heavy stuff now I can.

I have some bags of feed, but would like more. I've got my DE, and oyster shell, too. The only thing is the expense to buy 7 months of feed at once. You just have to do what you can. The Turkeys all went to the freezer a few days ago. I want the useless roosters gone yesterday. And we still have to butcher the pigs.

Our freezer is getting full with the Turkeys, meat birds, and moose. The Pigs will top it off and we wont have to buy meat, I think.

The other day, I went and picked up 10 bags of flour and lots of pasta, rice and stuff. We still need to get in some bags of sugar, and the canned tomatoes stuff. Then we should be good. I hope. LOL. It's hard and expensive to get enough goods to last until perhaps next May. But we do what we can, now.

I've done lots of canning this summer/fall so that will help out some.

Then we can snuggle down for a lovely quiet winter... I'm thinking that it will be a long one with lots of snow, if I go by what I see the bears doing and all the rain we've had the entire summer and fall...

silkiebantam you really should think about writing a column or blog about living in Usk..you have a wonderful talent for writing and there are just not many people anymore who live in as remote an area as you do. I know hedagobbler is quite isolated up there but at least her road is usually available...it is very interesting how you manage there and I know I would love to hear/read about more of what you do in Usk.
Not to mention your photography is beautiful to illustrate your words!

Ahhhh! You ladies are so sweet! I really wouldn't know how to go about doing such a thing. I do enjoy posting though. Perhaps I should just start another post, instead of high jacking this one.

silkiebantam wrote:Ahhhh! You ladies are so sweet! I really wouldn't know how to go about doing such a thing. I do enjoy posting though. Perhaps I should just start another post, instead of high jacking this one.

There you go! You can start a blog right here: a post on Living in Usk and update it as you see fit!
I would read it faithfully!

mirycreek wrote:

silkiebantam wrote:Ahhhh! You ladies are so sweet! I really wouldn't know how to go about doing such a thing. I do enjoy posting though. Perhaps I should just start another post, instead of high jacking this one.

There you go! You can start a blog right here: a post on Living in Usk and update it as you see fit!
I would read it faithfully!

Ha ha! Well, I will make a post then. It might take me a little bit to get it started.