The Cold

We are back to some really cold weather.

I was trying to increase the grain the goats get to help them stay warm.  It doesn’t help that the feed store was out of corn and goat feed again when I stopped on my way home Friday. Luckily,  my nephew hooked me up with enough to get through the weekend.

I also have to have the corn to keep putting weight on Victoria.  She actually doesn’t look bad now.  Of course, she comes in and gets a heaping quart of corn and then about the same amount of llama feed every day.  She prefers the llama feed to the sweet feed.

Victoria

I’m looking at the hay in the barn and trying to see how long the stack in the bottom will last.  I’d love to not have to take any out of the loft, but I’m not sure that’s going to happen.  At least I’m confident I have plenty to get through the winter.

(Tux is in his bed clear on the very top bale)

Thankfully, the cattle tank is working well.  (please keep working)

Heidi

I have been giving the birds some hay for bedding also.  They can snuggle into eat and eat it both.

These weird girls don’t go up to roost.

Mr. Peacock is hanging in there.  I know he’s still going up to roost despite the foot injury.  I do hope he doesn’t lose too much of his toes and he’s able to get around.

Mr. Peacock

With the crazy cold and the freezing injuries I’ve had to birds in the last few years, I’m thinking I might just have to give up having birds.

Beautiful Sunsets

The days are starting to get longer.  I can tell because I can actually take a sunset picture when I finish chores.

And they have been beautiful!

Settled In

I did manage to get Dolly and Victoria settled in the garage.  Well, I got them in there.  Victoria really needed to come in. She was cold.  Once she got in there she ate a bunch of sweet feed and chowed down on some hay.  She was feeling much better before too long.

Victoria munching hay in the garage; they have a big area bedded for them.

Dolly is Dolly.  This is far from the first time she’s been brought in during cold snaps.  She got a drink and just hung out.

Dolly

But Victoria is being naughty to her grandmaa (just a little).  I did tell her she better be good to Dolly and keep her dang horns off my car.  I just got it back from being fixed.

Victoria eating again; Dolly retreated to hide behind my car.

Everyone else is getting plenty to eat.

2TC

Strangely, I went about two weeks without being able to get corn from the farm store. Seriously? I live in Iowa. How can you not have corn?  When they finally got it back in stock, the price had gone up $1.50 – $2.00 a bag.

But the critters have to eat, so we should be good to go.

Onyx, Maybeline, Odie, Daisy, Zora with Ms. Goose

The birds are in their building.  I’ve been keeping it shut quite a bit.  I do worry about all my old hens.  I already lost one.

I’m really concerned about Mr. Peacock.

He is the oldest animal on the farm, and he’s getting pretty old.  He has to be at least 16.

We’ve all settled in for the cold spell. I hope everyone stays safe through this huge crazy weather.