Farm & Flock— presented by Chicken Whisperer Magazine“ Hope For The Best, Plan For The Worst” prevailing winds and driving rain is absolutely mandatory for goats. Bedding inside these structures must be checked and replaced frequently.
When small ruminants rest on wet, manure-soaked straw, toxic ammonia gases accumulate quickly. The Oregon State University Extension warns that " ammonia fumes can build up quickly in the lower 18 inches where recumbent animals breathe. Irritated respiratory lining is then very susceptible to pneumonia-causing bacteria and viruses."
Keep the air fresh by providing overhead ridge vents that exhaust moisture without generating drafty winds at ground level. Regarding dietary needs, increase their intake of highquality roughage such as alfalfa or grass hay; the microbial fermentation process inside their rumens acts as a kind of internal space heater.
Pigs
Pigs face a unique biological hurdle during winter because they lack a dense coat of fur or wool to insulate their skin. Young piglets are especially vulnerable to hypothermia.
Experts at Penn State Extension tell us that young growing pigs " lack significant adipose( fat) stores at birth and do not develop these stores until maturity. This lack of fat prevents them from having any energy reserves to maintain body heat."
To protect swine, you must seal up all structural cracks and keep ambient barn temperatures within their specific thermoneutral comfort zone. If you are managing outdoor heritage breeds, provide them with massive mounds of clean, dry straw so they can burrow and construct deep nests to trap collective body heat.
Because water conducts heat away from the body far faster than air, Penn State Extension says that " humidity in the air will be drawn to your pigs, pulling heat from them." So, you must keep the barn completely dry, repair leaky nipple waterers immediately, and clean up wet spots daily to ensure that your pigs do not get chilled by damp floors.
Chickens
Even though these ubiquitous barnyard residents are naturally cold-hardy, their combs, wattles, and feet are very delicate and highly susceptible to frostbite. Many backyard farmers mistakenly seal their chicken coops completely airtight with the idea of holding the heat in. However, a closed coop quickly accumulates moisture from the birds ' breath and their nitrogen-rich droppings. This trapped humidity can settle on their exposed skin and freeze. Although a well-insulated coop is important, a venting system to expel moisture is also necessary
The University of Minnesota Extension highlights that water availability dictates a bird ' s overall health, stating, " Water is a key part of your flock ' s diet and is necessary for digestion. Without water, chickens will stop eating."
To keep water dishes from freezing, you can use commercial heated bases or heavy rubber bowls that can be easily cleared of ice chunks. Here on our patch, we use a permanently installed 12-gallon water dispenser with drinking nipples year-round. In the winter, we put a commercial water-heating electrode in the tub that prevents the water from freezing but does not warm it.
You can also boost your flock ' s internal metabolism by tossing a handful of high-carbohydrate scratch grains or cracked corn into their coop run right before they go up to roost for the evening. Digesting those complex grains throughout the night generates vital core body heat, keeping them cozy on the roost until morning.
Preparation is Key
With the unpredictable weather of recent years, the old chestnut advising us to“ hope for the best but prepare for the worst” has never been so timely.
Even farmers and acreage owners in areas where the“ worst” has historically been“ not that bad” are recalibrating expectations this year so as not to be taken by surprise should some unplanned weather event overtake them. Hopefully, our barnyard charges will be able to overwinter blissfully ignorant of anything other than that they are being kept safe, warm, and well-fed.
AcreageLife. com October 2026 AcreageLife 11