addy1 said:
a warm 9 temps going back up., looks like temps in the 50's starting sunday for a week or so.
For you deep freeze people a question, what happens to livestock? I would assume all would need to be put in barns or they would die, How is livestock handled, herds of cows, horses etc?
I remember during one bad winter in flagstaff, az, where I went to college, they started dropping bales of hay for the elk and deer.
In Illinois, and I suspect in every state, EVERY farm animal is entitled to shelter. That being said, you will almost always see cows and horses standing out in the field instead of inside. My horses have a run-in, and stayed inside during the blizzard conditions, but still got covered with snow, it blew so hard and swirled around. As they say, you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink. That being said, yes, some animals prefer to be out in the cold, wind, rain, snow. You can't make them stand inside. It may make YOU feel better, but they are fine. But, they should have the option of the shelter. Wild animals know where to go to get out of the cold and huddle together. They turn their butts to the wind, and head down. My barn cats don't come in, they would tear up my house trying to get OUT, no matter the weather. They have LOTS of loose straw/hay in the hayloft, and plenty of food and water.
As far as feeding them and blanketing horses, that's a tricky matter! Some people want their horse to be blanketed, because the human thinks they will get cold. I totally understand those that blanket and stall their horses, and control their outdoor environment (certain hours outside, on a schedule), but those that simply think a blanket would be "cute" in the winter are doing more harm than good. For instance, put a really warm wool blanket on a horse and turn him outside in the mud. He's going to roll. Then the weather gets cold, bitterly cold, what do you think that mud is going to do? Yep, freeze solid. The horse is now wearing a blanket of ice, and that's REALLY hard to keep warm in. I've seen it, and hate it. It's better to leave the blanket off than to do it on a whim. And, once you blanket, be careful when you decide to remove it. If your horse has not grown sufficient winter fur, it may get chilled quickly. And, as far as feed and hay, I've always been told by my vet that hay keeps a horse warm, not sweet feed. I've also heard that oats "heat up" a horse, too. But, feeding more grain is not the key to warmth in the winter, hay is.
Totally agree with everything Betta said above. If you blanket, do it correctly, or don't do it at all. My horses were perfectly fine with no blankets, but they had shelter, even though I could not close out all the wind. They were never shivering, but I also doubled their hay intake for the last 3 days, too. :blueflower:
