Cold weather hazards...

You know the cold snap has really arrived when you carry around a bucket full of steaming hot water like this all morning, trying to thaw water lines and water bowl valves that have frozen overnight!

Yes, we knew it was coming, and we did what we could to prepare, but the west side of our barn is comprised mostly of windows, which makes it difficult to keep the water lines and water bowls open...especially with the high winds we had last night and all day today.

This morning I was able to get the cows' water bowls open by pouring hot water slowly over the valves, but one of the two remaining "old" water bowls in the fourth row had taken all of the cold winters it could handle.  Jim ended up replacing the entire water bowl this morning when it sprung a leak at a weak spot.  The heifer pens were another story...we'll be carrying water to the heifers for several days until this cold snap is over.

I find it interesting...Jim loses sleep over cows that are sick; I lose sleep over broken or frozen water lines!  Guess who might not be sleeping tonight?!