Winter Wisdom...
It's February 14th and you're probably
wondering
what I'm doing talking to you this time of year.
No, it's not about
chocolate and
roses or the seven signs of aging.
Remember it's winter and things are slow,
and naturally, I'm the go to guy for slow.
All kidding aside I'm here to address the
subject
of global warming and a simple way to reduce your
carbon footprint and the greenhouse gasses that
humans are releasing into the atmosphere.
I'm still looking for a picture
so I'll describe the solution.
Basically we all know that water left
outside in the depths of winter will freeze.
Of course horses have a tough time knocking
back ten to twenty gallons of water when it's in
solid form. So you either have to heat the water
with an electric immersion heater or change the water
every few hours. Well for a hundred dollars you can
save yourself a lot of hassle and some steep hydro bills.
Locate a 45gal plastic barrel. Make sure that nothing
toxic or poisionous has ever been stored in the barrel.
If you aren't sure then don't take a chance. Purchase or
locate a cement well tile that is at about ten inches
larger in diameter than the barrel. Place the tile where
you normally locate your water trough or bucket.
Take your barrel and cut the top of it out. Locate
some fresh manure (I know you have some).
Place enough manure in the bottom of the well tile
to level it out and provide a buffer between the barrel
and the ground. A couple of inches will do just fine.
Place the barrel in the center of the well tile and pack
fresh manure between the wall of the tile and the
plastic barrel. Fill the barrel with water.
Your problem is solved until spring.
The only requirement is that you keep the barrel
topped up each day and remove any ice that forms
on the surface of the water. Never leave the barrel
with water in it unless you have livestock actively
drinking from it each day. It will freeze. Always remove
the ring of ice that forms around the perimeter before
it has a chance to advance downwards.
Two canadian winters have tested
this concept and it works like a charm.
