Someone, asked me how we water the stock in the winter.
Well, we have two systems:
we have heated stock waterers,
in the barn and some other strategic spots around the ranch.
The other "system" is,
you let them eat snow.
Well, we have two systems:
we have heated stock waterers,
in the barn and some other strategic spots around the ranch.
The other "system" is,
you let them eat snow.
Any animals who are lactating, worked hard ( horses) or are getting fed ( finished) get access to liquid water,
all the others get their water by grazing on snow.
As long as the animals are not switched up and down from water to snow and back again, then it is not an issue.
We have found the animals do really well on this.
Even the collies will grab a bite of snow on the go, while working.
Our collies stop drinking water, even when offered to them and prefer to eat snow.
However, eating snow does has a disadvantage:
brain freeze.
brain freeze.
Here is a step by step visual on brain freeze:
Drinking on the run..
Drinking on the run..
Bite
Funny face
Awesome face,
everything is cool..
Now, for more serious hydration,
stopping at the watering hole...
Step 1
take a small bite of snow
Step 2
Slowly let it melt in your mouth,
and then swallow
Step 3
The realization that your bite was too big
and you now have a huge quantity of frozen water in your mouth
Step 4
The moment you realize that brain freeze is setting in
oh boy..
Step 5
You close you eyes and hope that it will go away
Step 6
your mind is blank,
and, you forget to put you tongue back..
Step 7
YOU HAVE BRAIN FREEZE
Hope your weekend is more successful!
C'mon, you seriously don't provide some sort of liquid water to all of your animals? Creek, pond, anything? This is a joke, right?
ReplyDeleteDo you think a creek or a pond is going to be liquid in winter in a sub-arctic climate where the ambient temps stay well below freezing for months on end? Most creeks are frozen solid at those temps & lakes & ponds are frozen several feet thick, solid enough to drive on. Ice fishing, anyone?
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