Over the weekend, we said goodbye to our mild fall, and began to batten down the hatches. Jim cleaned out the outside pen and wooden pen one more time, and put up the plywood barriers between the outside pen and wooden pen.
The pen, which is on the cold west side of the barn, opens to the south and in the winter it acts like a channel for all the cold winds to blow right into the barn. Water pipes can freeze...and it's a mess when that happens.
We usually wait as long as possible to put up the barriers, because the barn is better ventilated without them. When it's closed up too tightly, the heifers can pass around respiratory viruses (just like a room full of school kids!) However...the cold weather won out this time...
The outside pen heifers can still get inside for shelter, but those barriers keep out the worst of the cold. There's also a door to the left that we pull shut to block off the entry way. When it gets really cold, we drain the water line and fill water tubs several times a day for the outside pen heifers. Luckily it's not nearly that cold yet!
It's just below freezing right now on this beautiful Thanksgiving day. The sun is shining, and we'll be spending the next several days with family...eating way too much of course...but enjoying time together. The gourmet potatoes are in the oven, and we're working up our appetites for a feast.
Wherever you are...and however cold...or warm...you are, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Linking to Alphabe-Thursday
