Preventing Goat-Cicles in the Polar Vortex

Lucifer my Alpine buck seeking shelter from the cold and snow.

With temperatures that plummeted to -35* with the windchill, I found myself worried about all of my animals. The goats; are they going to be warm enough? Will they get to cold and not drink and get dehydrated? What about the kids, will their 2 heat lamps be enough?The poultry; should I put a heat lamp in each coop (with 4 of them that would be a lot!), I should keep the  ducks locked up so they don't try to go swim in the creek, bed the turkey pen again?
   I am a worrier, it's what I do. Especially when it comes to keeping all the critter happy and healthy. I am happy to report that everyone made it through the "Polar Vortex" safely and are healthy and happy.







It wasn't easy keeping everyone going, but I would of course do it again in a heart beat! Here is what I did to keep everyone warm and healthy during the cold snap of 2014.

       For the adult bred goats, I fed them a lot of hay three times a day to keep everyone up and going and keep their rumens (stomachs) active. I also carried bucket after bucket full of warm water out with extra electrolytes three to four times a day and made sure everyone drank. I paid special attention to the three bucks to make sure they drank enough, because if they get dehydrated they are at a higher risk for urinary calculi something similar to kidney stones and get sick and possibly die.
        The goats also got their regular amount of grain twice a day, but instead of making them eat outside I fed them inside of the barn. I also gave them extra bedding and put up an extra piece of plywood to block the wind more.

Becca the Alpine/Nubian with big "airplane" ears

 With goats like my yearling Becca that has large ears I checked carefully for frost bite. I locked the four yearlings in their small barn at night and gave them extra bedding. One of the little does was already fighting pneumonia so for a little extra protection I put a "goat coat" on her. It was a simple out grown sweatshirt with the sleeves and hood cut off and then modified to fit her correctly. She didn't seem to mind it wasn't extremely fashionable because it was warm and that's all that matters!

 The four alpine doelings I purchased in December were snuggled all warm in their hutch with two heat lamps and extra deep bedding. I don't think they even knew it was cold outside! They kept romping and playing, bouncing off of the wall (and each other!). I did put extra electrolytes in their breakfast and dinner on the coldest days just to give them an extra boost.
     I woke up in the middle of the night one night and decided to go out and check on everyone. I bundled up tight after looking at the thermometer and made the trek through the snow to the goat kid hutch. They were cuddled together sleeping not even shivering.

 I decided to try to take a picture, but of course as soon as I did that they heard me and jumped up and wanted me to feed them. Silly girls! I was satisfied they were warm and went back inside.

The next morning I went out extra early with their milk and found Little Jeanie apparently had  a brilliant idea! After watching her get waaaay to close to the heat bulb for my comfort I moved the lamps up just a little more so she can't touch it.

I was grateful that the goats made it through and are all healthy and happy! Look at those smiling faces, don't they just warm your heart!

For the poultry I locked the ducks up in their spacious coop and carried them warm water everyday about three times a day. I gave them deep bedding and offered them extra corn for energy to keep them warm. I can't say they were extremely amused with me since they are used to free ranging and swimming in the creek whenever they want, but I know it was for their best. The nine turkeys were moved into a smaller, but more protected coop and given extra corn and some hay to keep them from getting bored. My Tom frequently gobbled at me as I walked by his coop as if to yell at me even though I reassured him it really was to protect him!

Barney the extremely hardy Buckeye Rooster

As for the chickens I kept them all locked in during the coldest part and gave them extra feed and alfalfa hay to keep them from getting bored. I also took precaution and put Vaseline on combs that were large and at risk for frost bite.  No one had any interest in coming out in the  cold anyway. I only had one rooster that refused to stay inside. I tried to lock him in the dog house with my "backyard chickens" these are the ones that stay with the goats during the day and usually sleep in the dog house at night, except for one rooster Barney the Buckeye, always slept on the goat fence. I could not keep him in for anything. So as hard as I tried, he slept on the fence in the middle of the freezing cold temperatures and wind chill. I prepared myself to find a dead rooster in the morning after the worst night, but when I came out he was out scratching in the snow looking for little scraps of corn the goats may have missed.

Everyone made it through, including myself, I do have to say I HATE cold weather and I find myself dreaming of Spring more often than I did. Spring with chicks hatching, ducklings running around and goat kids bouncing off the all and their mothers. Yes spring is just a much happier time of year and the most important part it's WARMER!