Ice...

 Yesterday freezing rain and sleet and all manner of cold wetness fell from the sky. It flung itself against the windows in loud waves. Today the sun is bright, but there is a bitter wind, and the temperatures are slated to plummet into the sub-zero range tonight and tomorrow. This means it will be extra crucial for the animals to have clean, dry bedding. 

The chickens were unhappy to see me and my shovel enter their coop. I tossed the old bedding out on the snow and ice, and they, under squawking protest, hustled outside to huddle and pout while I worked. A fresh bale of pine shavings was soon spread, and a flake of straw tossed on top for the birds to scratch around in. I had their vent window open while I worked, and the wind was whipping in through it in a most unpleasant manner. I made sure to shut and latch it when I was done, brrr! 

Next up was the goat cozy. It wasn't terribly messy, but I decided to clean it because I needed the old shavings to create paths on the ice. I was having trouble getting around even with aggressive ice grips on my boots. The goats were walking with mincing steps and sliding about on the sheets of slick that covered the ground. 

This shows the skating rink they have to traverse to their big, heated water bucket. I'm not sure if they are making the trek there or not, so I brought out some warm water with a bit of electrolyte powder in it to entice them to drink. Spirit got right on board, slurping down the goat version of Kool-Aid with gusto. 

Bliss had to think about it but finally joined in. It makes me feel better to know they are hydrated well. 

I laid a trail of old bedding from their house to the hay rack. 

They immediately took advantage of the more secure footing, even doing a little happy dance and buck routine as they realized they could move about more safely. 

I piled their clean shavings on the end of the house they like to lie on most and added straw there and to their pools.  Their coats are on, and hopefully, they will be as comfortable as they can be during this cold spell.

 

A peek at the goat cam showed me that the ladies (and one brave hen that traversed the pasture to join them) were enjoying the fruits of my labor with a nap in their clean house. 

Staying warm and not slipping on ice is the order of the day for all of us here at FairWinds.