Winter on the homestead arrives every year like a surprise you absolutely did not ask for. It’s cold, It’s icy and suddenly every chore takes three times longer because your fingers stopped working somewhere around November.
While other people are inside enjoying heat and cozy blankets, livestock owners are outside performing winter gymnastics with frozen buckets and being stared at by animals who believe you are late. Always late!
Water: A Trust Exercise That Always Fails.
Providing water in winter is a fun daily reminder that nothing on the homestead is ever simple.
You break ice. You carry buckets. You invest in heated waterers.
They might freeze anyway.
The animals wait patiently—meaning they stand there staring at you like, “Wow. Took you long enough.” You work faster, they judge harder, and no one acknowledges that this happens twice a day!
Feeding Time: Starvation, According to Them
Cold weather means livestock need more calories, which is understandable. What’s less understandable is the way they act like they’ve never eaten before in their entire lives.
The feeder is empty? Tragic.
The feeder is half full? Unacceptable.
The feeder is full? Temporary relief, followed by suspicion.
Hay disappears overnight, grain is inhaled, and you briefly consider whether your animals have secret meetings about how to demand more food.
Shelter: Provided, Ignored, Criticized.
You build shelter. You block wind. You add fresh bedding. You step back and admire your work. They choose to stand outside in the snow.
You open the barn doors no one goes in.
You close the doors they suddenly need in.
You add bedding and there is always one who will go over and pee on it the minute it hits the ground.
Shelter matters, of course. Dry, draft-free spaces are essential in winter, even if the animals act like they could’ve done it better themselves.
Daily Checks: Overthinking Is Now a Hobby, winter turns every livestock owner into a full-time observer.
You watch them eat. You watch them walk. You watch them breathe.
“Are you losing weight?”
“Are you limping?”
“Why are you standing like that?”
Sometimes it’s a real concern. Sometimes they’re just… like that. Winter teaches you quickly who is stoic and who thrives on attention.
Why We Keep Doing This,
Winter livestock care is cold, exhausting, and wildly underappreciated. At the end of the day, everyone is fed, watered, and settled in—and that counts for something.
Because even when it’s miserable, even when everything is frozen, you show up.
And somehow, when spring comes, you’ll forget all about this. You’ll say things like, “Winter wasn’t that bad.”
Which is hilarious.
See you tomorrow, With hay, and coke.
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