Like most of you, I have pets that I love like family!! I also have livestock. I always believed that I must prepare my animals for cold winter weather just like I make sure I get out my coats when it starts to get cold. This information provides simple and common sense ideas that I have found helpful through the years.
my pasture 2007
One of the most important things to do is to provide adequate shelter and water. These can both have their challenges during cold weather. I provide shelter for my animals year-round, even though we do not get the very cold freezing weather in Texas that other places get. I have three-sided sheds for my miniature cows and donkeys that I designed to give them shelter from the cold north winds. I have a barn with inside space for my miniature goats, livestock and guard dog to escape the weather. In the winter, I still make additional plans – even with our typically warmer climate.
Here are some things to consider:
Water – We do occasionally get freezing weather that lasts for more
than one day. Since I fill my water tanks with garden hoses and outside faucets, freezing temperatures means I may not be able to refill them for a day or two. Therefore, I add multiple water tanks. I’m able to break the top ice on each tank several times which keeps the tank from totally freezing over for a while. I can do this for several days and still have water available for the animals until the hoses can be used again.
This calf found a warm spot
Shelter – If the weather is calling for freezing nights, I may add bedding to the shelters to help insulate them from the ground. They certainly like bedding down in it when it is cold. I also have heat lamps available in the barn and wired to hang above the inside pens, so if I have young animals or sick ones, I can put them inside a warm area when it gets cold. It is a good idea to clean these heat lamp fixtures before cold weather as they can get covered with dust, etc during the non-use months. You also need to make sure the bulb is still good. These heating bulbs can be hard to find at the last minute when you really need one. Texas stores do not keep a lot of these in stock, so they go fast when it gets cold.
miniature zebu love their feed!
Feed – I feed my animals more during the cold months as they burn more energy to stay warm. I also need to compensate for the lack of good grass this time of year in this area, so I keep hay available at all times. Most of my animals seem to eat all their feed immediately during colder weather. When it is hot they may leave some in the dish for later. Buy extra and keep it handy.
Be Attentive – Pay attention to your animals, and take a good look at them – they can get colds too. Look for runny noses and runny eyes; these can be signs of illness in animals just like in people. If they do not clear up for an extended time period, check with your vet.
miniature goat kids sleeping in a pile
Know your animals – I can’t say this enough – every breed has different requirements. My miniature donkeys grow more hair when it gets cold, but my miniature cows are a breed that does not grow much hair. They are smart enough to sleep close together in the shed to share warmth. They sleep so close that sometimes it looks like they are just in a big pile! The miniature goats do this too.
my yard 2010
Pay attention to the forecast – You need to plan to have the extra bedding or extra water tanks in place and ready before the freeze hits. You may also need to cover your outside faucets and disconnect the hoses to prepare for a freeze.
House dogs – They may be inside most of the time, but they still need to go out occasionally. Make sure you monitor their time outside; put on a coat and go out with them. If you get too cold to stay outside even with your coat on, then it is time to bring them in too. They may need additional water to drink – the heater in your house dries out the air and their skin, just like yours. Keep their water dish full all the time. Try to schedule more indoor playtime since they may not get to run outside as much. Fetch with a new treat or toy may be enough. Schedule bath time for the warmer part of the day and, after drying them off, wrap them in a dry towel or blanket for a little while to keep them warm until they dry completely. You may also want to change to a shampoo that has some conditioner or lotion for their skin, depending on the breed of course. This also gives you more time to pay attention to your pet, which may be hard to do during the holidays. My little dachshund loves her blanket – she loves to wiggle her way under it and curl up there for her naps.
Just like my Lulu! photo by celebritydachshund.com
When you are buying gifts for your pets, remember all the rescues that take care of so many pets, and donate some food, toys or other useful items to help the homeless pets too.
Or, better yet, volunteer to help out at a shelter near you!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to two-legged and four-legged creatures everywhere!
Thanks for the great tips, Deb, and thanks for sharing all the neat photos! I just have dogs and cats that come up to the porch for their water, so luckily the water needs are a less than for all yours! So I just refill the large water bowl from the kitchen whenever it gets low or frozen. When I feed them I’ll make a little gravy with warm water to put over their food and help warm them up for the night. Thanks for sharing!
Tina… I bet they love that warm gravy too! Wow, I would hate to carry water to all the pastures and pens that I have from the house, but I have occasionally done that. They also make heaters for the water tanks, but they can be pricey and of course, you usually have to have power to run them. In other parts of the country where the winters are longer they build for long winter weather, but we do not see much of that here. We do get challenged with the freezing tempuratures some times with our livestock here, so I try to be prepared. Mostly common sense stuff that I have learned over the years. Lots of first time livestock people get involved with these miniature animals, so we try to help where ever we can. Thanks for reading.