Cold bitz

[Ky hills]

That's cold, I wouldn't be able to stand being any further north than we are, and a lot of the winter, I think it's way too far north to suit me,
I think I've said it before, but I'll say it again, my hat is off to y'all that work out in those cold areas.
We were at 25 when I went out and windchill was 11 now up to 17 and 27 degrees.
Good thing was when we drove around the field checking for downed trees on fences after last nights wind and wasn't any new ones. Still have other fields to check before turning the cows in them though.

 

[Chuckie]

There were some people around here whining about our up coming week so I sent them pictures of Oscar and jcreekrch and his thermometer reading, and told them to get over it!! But, seeing and thinking what all of you up North or us and out northwest go through, makes me have to re-evaluate my own self as we get soft in warmer climates.

 

[Josher]

We equally admire those in the south who can survive the heat of summer. When it's cold you can always put more layers on. When it's hot there's only so many layers to remove. Went down to Nebraska when I was a bit younger with a friend who hauled stock trailers up to Canada. Hung out there with some of his friends and one afternoon we got playing a bit of basketball. It wasn't very long and us Canadians were running the garden hose on our heads to cool down. Also helped haul some square bales one evening. It was so hot and humid. I think they were trying to kill us.

 

[CowboyRam]

We had -34 when I got up this morning, and by 10am it was up to a balmy -24.

 

[ClinchValley86]

I share in @Ky hills thoughts. We are looking at 4 degrees Monday night. I dread it oh so badly. If the wind keeps up like it has been the past week the cows will have me concerned. Really don't have any sort of wind breaks here. I've opened them up to the corral hoping it'll knock some wind off. Got two cows looking to calve anytime now. Id about guarantee they both come Monday night.

Yall up north and west are some real troopers!

 

[CowboyRam]

There is a guy just down the road from me that calves in January, and has several calves on the ground right now. He at least has a calf shelter for them to go in.

 

[Travlr]

That's cold, I wouldn't be able to stand being any further north than we are, and a lot of the winter, I think it's way too far north to suit me,
I think I've said it before, but I'll say it again, my hat is off to y'all that work out in those cold areas.
We were at 25 when I went out and windchill was 11 now up to 17 and 27 degrees.
Good thing was when we drove around the field checking for downed trees on fences after last nights wind and wasn't any new ones. Still have other fields to check before turning the cows in them though.

It's kind of amazing what people (and cows) can adapt to. I'd calve in February and sometimes have some pretty chill temps, but never lost a calf to cold. But I lost a lot of late calves to wet and wind later in the year. By January if it wasn't below 20F degrees it wasn't unusual to go without a coat if the wind wasn't blowing. I've seen pictures of Alaskan natives standing in the snow with a lot of bare skin showing, holding an infant to their chest, and that was normal for them.

 

[Ky hills]

It's kind of amazing what people (and cows) can adapt to. I'd calve in February and sometimes have some pretty chill temps, but never lost a calf to cold. But I lost a lot of late calves to wet and wind later in the year. By January if it wasn't below 20F degrees it wasn't unusual to go without a coat if the wind wasn't blowing. I've seen pictures of Alaskan natives standing in the snow with a lot of bare skin showing, holding an infant to their chest, and that was normal for them.

Lots of times we have calved in February. If the weather is decent and not a lot of cold rain, snow and ice then I'd rather have them born then than in the cold mud and rain of March, but if calving in winter and bad weather hits right when calves are born it can be bad. They can chill pretty fast.

 

[GoWyo]

Yesterday didn't reallly warm up here. Started -37 and warmed up to -36 c. And… the tire waterer froze. The heater element got a bunch of scale on it and wasnt heating properly. Water valve stuck shut cause the float stuck to some ice. Cows drank water down so I got to work on a frozen waterer. After borrowing the wife's hair drier and leaving it point down the riser pipe it thawed out quite nicely. Just had to pour some hot water on the valve and it worked. Meanwhile my chore tractor didn't feel like starting too cold or something. The torpedo heater seemed to do the trick on that. At the end of the day I could say View attachment 39530

Thirty-forty below helps you find the weak spots.

 

[gcreekrch]

Thirty-forty below helps you find the weak spots.

Yes, got to change a tilt cylinder hose today on our 6410. Was nice to pull into the heated shop, find that I actually had the right fittings and build a new hose. Ready for tomorrow!

Two tractors at our other place that hadn't started for two days went today so we won't be roading the feed outfit 10 miles to feed there. Almost like a holiday!

 

[Silver]

Thirty-forty below helps you find the weak spots.

The downside is that some of that cold weather damage doesn't show up until weeks or months later.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Heated shop has been a blessing the last 4 years. I used to dread the extreme cold and everything associated with it like fuel gelling, molasses hydraulic fluid, hydraulic hoses, weak starters, etc. A 40+ degree tractor is a wonderful thing for both me and the longevity of the equipment.

 

[GoWyo]

The downside is that some of that cold weather damage doesn't show up until weeks or months later.

Yah mine was plugged in all night and running today, but not very good. Was -17F today. Not sure if trying to gel up or something worse. It had anti gel dope in fuel. Hope it's just a gel problem. Supposed to be +9F tomorrow so will see how it goes.

 

[tex452]

We equally admire those in the south who can survive the heat of summer. When it's cold you can always put more layers on. When it's hot there's only so many layers to remove. Went down to Nebraska when I was a bit younger with a friend who hauled stock trailers up to Canada. Hung out there with some of his friends and one afternoon we got playing a bit of basketball. It wasn't very long and us Canadians were running the garden hose on our heads to cool down. Also helped haul some square bales one evening. It was so hot and humid. I think they were trying to kill us.

Our summers are brutal.

 

[CowboyRam]

I got caught with my pants down last year. I had my feed tractor gelled up even though I was running blended fuel, so this year I added an additive to my fuel. A buddy of mine didn't and his skid steer gelled up.

 

[DNelson]

I got caught with my pants down last year. I had my feed tractor gelled up even though I was running blended fuel, so this year I added an additive to my fuel. A buddy of mine didn't and his skid steer gelled up.

Good idea, I'm going to add some additive today too. its only -14f right now but doesn't look like its warming up much as it moves towards us from your area.

 

[gcreekrch]

Warming up here, only -24 c this am.

 

[Silver]

Warming up here, only -24 c this am.

Getting snow with the warmth? It's -44 here but forecast snow and -22 tomorrow.

 

[gcreekrch]

We can use the white stuff.

 

[Silver]

Nice. We sure need it too.