It had already hit northeast of us. We do not get Edmonton weather, but the wind brings the same weather as Grande Prairie sidling southeast to us and then to southern Saskatchewan. So, I knew it was coming. The forecast says it will not stay though. This is the first dump of the year and we have about 3 inches already since 5 pm.
The day was a scurry. I had to build a farrowing hut for the last pregnant sow. The three sows and twenty piglets sleep in the small hut and the piglets are in there too, huddled between the sows. It is pretty warm and I gave them many bales of straw to make their nests and burrow in. In the dead of winter they come out from under the straw, steaming! I gave Wilbur some straw as well, though he has it pretty cushy in his house. In a few weeks I will give him some of the boar piglets that are ready to be weaned. Right now they are still small enough to go through the page wire fence, so there is no point in moving them.
I picked up sticks and dog bones and large stones that might be in the way of the snow blower, should it need to be used. The truck was not home so I could not load them, but that was the plan. The hoses were reeled away, but until mid November, the day time temperatures will be warm enough to thaw them, I hope. We are expecting highs around 8 or so. I will put shorn wool over the hose to keep it thawed too. The warmer on the outdoor faucet was plugged in today.
Then the patio cushions and some furniture was taken into the shed. The dog houses were lined with wool, but they will also need straw bales around them. The winter is supposed to be bitterly cold. I am going to use red Tuck tape to tape some heavy cloth to the openings of the dog houses too.
Then around 3 pm, my neighbour and his daughter and granddaughter and daddy came for a farm visit. They were cold and the little girl was not feeling well, so it was a fast tour. Back to work I went and collapsed the dog kennels that were used for rabbit cages and put them in the shed. Tomorrow the bunnies homes will need to be tarped against the wind. They have little houses that will need extra straw in them too. The last two baby bunnies have not been caught. They run down their burrow the moment they see me and do not come out until I am really gone. The fruit trees need to be wrapped with wool and the roses covered with manure. That worked great last year. And the rest of the critters need straw in their shelters and some need new tarps over top of the tattered ones. I was not really ready for the snow, but oh well. It is here but not staying- I hope!
The day was a scurry. I had to build a farrowing hut for the last pregnant sow. The three sows and twenty piglets sleep in the small hut and the piglets are in there too, huddled between the sows. It is pretty warm and I gave them many bales of straw to make their nests and burrow in. In the dead of winter they come out from under the straw, steaming! I gave Wilbur some straw as well, though he has it pretty cushy in his house. In a few weeks I will give him some of the boar piglets that are ready to be weaned. Right now they are still small enough to go through the page wire fence, so there is no point in moving them.
I picked up sticks and dog bones and large stones that might be in the way of the snow blower, should it need to be used. The truck was not home so I could not load them, but that was the plan. The hoses were reeled away, but until mid November, the day time temperatures will be warm enough to thaw them, I hope. We are expecting highs around 8 or so. I will put shorn wool over the hose to keep it thawed too. The warmer on the outdoor faucet was plugged in today.
Then the patio cushions and some furniture was taken into the shed. The dog houses were lined with wool, but they will also need straw bales around them. The winter is supposed to be bitterly cold. I am going to use red Tuck tape to tape some heavy cloth to the openings of the dog houses too.
Then around 3 pm, my neighbour and his daughter and granddaughter and daddy came for a farm visit. They were cold and the little girl was not feeling well, so it was a fast tour. Back to work I went and collapsed the dog kennels that were used for rabbit cages and put them in the shed. Tomorrow the bunnies homes will need to be tarped against the wind. They have little houses that will need extra straw in them too. The last two baby bunnies have not been caught. They run down their burrow the moment they see me and do not come out until I am really gone. The fruit trees need to be wrapped with wool and the roses covered with manure. That worked great last year. And the rest of the critters need straw in their shelters and some need new tarps over top of the tattered ones. I was not really ready for the snow, but oh well. It is here but not staying- I hope!
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