HOW TO KEEP YOUR LIVESTOCK WARM WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE “THE GENTLE BARN” -By Boots N Lace

Seriously, some of these city folks are really in need of a reality check. Coats for chickens and goats. Really? If they would do a little research and STOP HUMANIZING THEM, they would realize, those coats are a waste of money. Mother Nature has provided EVERYTHING a goat or chicken (all livestock—this includes dogs and cats) needs to withstand ALL elements (there is exceptions to every rule, we will go over those in a minute.)

Ever gone camping or hiking? Maybe a bonfire on the beach? Any good Boy Scout can tell you what you need to start a fire and to keep it then going for hours with the smallest effort possible. I will equate the livestock to a simple example of fire starting and maintenance. What do you need to get a fire started? Small twigs and DRY weeds gets it jump started. Gotta then have the medium sized branches to go on or it burns out fast. To keep a good hot fire going, you are going to throw a dry, log on right? This gives a longer, more steady burn.

So, what is it your livestock need to stay warm? Food and shelter. That’s it? Yup, that’s it. Here’s how it works. First, they MUST HAVE a dry place to go. Livestock cannot warm themselves up if they are wet. They get cold, shivering burns MORE calories, then they get pneumonia and die from exposure. So make sure you have a good dry place for them to go to get out of the wind, rain, and snow. This is first and foremost. IF you don’t have this, DO NOT GET LIVESTOCK. You are not ready for them. The shelter needs to be solid on 3 sides with ventilation.

For Food: Starches are short acting but burn hot, then flame out. They are the “small twigs and branches” and examples are: grains (corn, wheat, oats, etc). Proteins and Fiber are longer acting and take longer to break down in their digestive system, then giving off a stead heat. They are the “logs” of the fire. Examples are: some grains carry a high percentage of proteins than others, hay, alfalfa, etc. UNDERSTAND THIS: Livestocks heat themselves from the INSIDE out. This is the opposite of what Humans do. This is also why coats are ridiculous on a goat or cow or chicken. They do nothing, actually, they HURT them by now their own hair or feathers won’t come in to keep them warm as Nature designed! If you want to keep your livestock warm FEED THEM! Give them a starch to jump start the inside furnace, then give them a longer burning fuel of a protein or fiber source. Remember it gets colder at night, so they need food to keep themselves warm, available at all times. When it is REALLY cold out, by instinct, a healthy goat, horse, or cow will eat around the clock. You can’t over feed in those situations! Most animals grow such a thick coat in, some will refuse to get out of the wind/snow and stand in it with their butts to the wind because standing in their provided shelter is still to hot for them. Don't worry, that's what NORMAL HEALTHY livestock do!

As with anything, there are exceptions to every rule. The really old, anything sick, or the really young sometimes need more TLC by bringing them in to a heated area more than what the heat of the herd and the shelter provide. But as soon as they are able to go out, put them out with the herd/flock! You want Nature’s methods of coat and feather growth to take its course so that the animal stands a chance of survival on its own. If an animal has been inside most of it’s life (dog or cat) you will have to “harden it” like you do tender plants in the Spring to get them ready to go in the ground. Little at a time so their coat has time to grow in. My working dogs live with the goats/cows year around. You can’t feel their skin their coats are so thick in the winter time. To bring them inside the house would be cruel as they would be miserable.

Providing anything less than the proper food and shelter is neglect and abuse. But as long as you have these 2 important things, you are good to go for the winter.