Today will be a "balmy" 21-degrees. But the rest of the week... brrrrrr!
Temperatures like these mean critters living outside will need extra care. I'll bring warm water to the bunnies and chickens three times a day because the little metal tubes on the rabbit waterers freeze so fast. My first stop when I bring a steaming bucket of water down to the animals is to dump all the frozen solid rabbit water bottles right into the bucket. The rabbit bottles thaw out and I refill them with warm water. As I walk away from the rabbit yard I hear all the little balls in the waterers clicking as the rabbits drink their fill.
I then carry the still warm bucket of water down to the chicken coop. The metal chicken waterer is inside the coop, but it can still freeze solid in this extreme weather. I carry the frozen waterer outside and I pour a little bit of warm water completely over it to thaw it enough to pull it apart. After I pull the two pieces apart, I rinse out the ice and fill the waterer with warm water.
Extra feed and warm, warm dry bedding is a must during this weather. The bunnies have super thick angora wool coats and will easily handle the frigid temperatures nestled in their hutches. The chickens get their door shut each evening and they snuggle together on their roosts. Their collective body heat helps them handle the low temps. It's hunker down time!
Winter either bites with its teeth or lashes with its tail. ~Proverb
From weather.com for Coudersport, PA:
ADVERTISEMENT
Burrrrr indeed! Makes chores seem like that are that much more work when it's this cold. We have single digits and teens this week. The fire place will be going for sure!
ReplyDelete