Last night it went down to 5 degrees, our warm was 12 and it's down to 6 again now. With the wind-chill is more like -12.
Whenever I went outside today, it was layering up before leaving the relative heat of the house of 68. Insulated coverall over thermal long johns and spencer, 2 pairs of socks, insulated boots, scarf around my neck, insulated hat with ear flaps and fastner under my chin, insulated gloves and a thermal jacket over everything.
Had a hassle with the milker. Although there was vacuum, the pulsator wasn't working. No clicking. So although it sucked on to Daisy Mays' teats, it wouldn't actually milk. Switched the Gila monster on again and moved the milk bucket with the pulsator on top in front of it. So the girls had more grain than usual. It worked, so I could finish milking. Didn't get as much milk as other days. Maybe the weather has something to do with that.
When turning the hot water on to do the equipment clean-up, nothing came out at first, but it woke up and gave me hot water. I religiously drain it after each use. It was that the water froze on the ground when I threw it out. Couldn't squeegee it fast enough. Need to watch that tomorrow so the girls don't slip and fall. Daisy May is such an exuberant cow, she jumps up into the milking parlour every day. Dolly is much more sensible. At least we have the back-yard traipse down pat, but they need a little encouragement at first outside the lower barn door.
Most of the chickens didn't leave their house today, and even the ducks and geese didn't wander around, but hunkered down in their yard with their feet tucked into their feathers. The boarded girls have settled in. They mill around me when I go in to feed and water them, no longer skedaddle away from me. I'm teaching them the feeding call, causes a bit of havoc with my birds who can't get into the smaller enclosure where they are.
Liqourice is seemingly well. I give her a handful of BOSS (black oil sunflower seed) for the selenium and a bit of corn to keep her heat up. She gets up and moves around and I'm thinking maybe I should take her back to the others. Will check her leg tomorrow and decide.
It's our weekend :). Herbie is upstairs sleeping but doesn't have to wake at 1:30 am to get ready for work. Nice to have him home.
Angie made some great mozzerella. I swopped some of my feta for it as I suck at making mozzerella.