Like most of the north east we were hit by a large winter storm this weekend. This caused temperatures to plummet to -4 degrees at night. This storm system also dumped six inches of snow on our farm. Taking care of our goats gets a little bit more complicated when the weather takes such a nasty turn. Ivy especially loves warm things to drink, she has been known to sip down my entire green tea mug! The girls have a heated bucket in the barn that keeps their water warm and unfrozen.
Extra hay is always consumed during these temperatures to help keep their rumens functioning and help to keep their internal furnaces burning hot. The girls also fluff up to hold warm air close to their body to help insulate themselves against the cold air. Today the high was only 14 degrees and the goats had no interest in coming out of the barn. Every time I opened the barn door while doing chores Ivy would run to the door to see if the weather had changed. She was sorely disappointed. We are most impressed by Zoey, She has only lived in a northern climate since the beginning of December, and she has grown a nice thick coat and hasn't shown signs of being cold. Overall, the goats are way tougher than humans and don't seem to be bothered by the cold too much.
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