I think this is the coldest weather I can recall since moving to WA twenty plus years ago. I could be wrong but it’s definitely the coldest it’s been in a long while.

Hubby and I just got everyone tucked in for the night.

The chickens are locked in their coop and we’ve “insulated” the cracks around the door with leftover feed bags. They’ve got a thick layer of straw in the floor, food and a heated dog dish for water.

The barn cats have a straw bale “house” within the big hat stack with a bed of hay and a horse blanket. They could come inside if they want but they rarely do.

The dogs are all tucked in their crates with their blankets in the dog “house” with heaters to keep them warm. Cajsa and Zuma are asleep in the garage. And Big Ben is getting quite spoiled sleeping in the living room by the wood stove. But this winter has been hard on his achy old joints.

The horses are getting extra food which is their fuel to warm them. They also grow wooly winter coats that insulate their bodies well. Although with the expected drop in temperature tonight and tomorrow we got their blankets out and blanketed them tonight. Keeping them hydrated is also super important to prevent colic (which is an extreme and potentially deadly “stomach ache”) that horses are prone too. So their water trough is kept thawed and slightly warm with a trough heater.

I know other parts of the US are expected to get hit with some extremely cold weather. Stay safe and warm everyone!