Get Yer Toque On!

[Blaithin]

Got a friend dropping a mule off in a bit. He’s been in BC. Poor barsteward isn’t going to be liking it here much Bet his trailer ride has been sucky too.

 

[Blaithin]

@Blaithin , how do you keep water flowing to your cattle ? As @Ukjay just said, it’s high time I stopped being a big pansy !
Its to get down to -6 here next week!

So did have to get the water flowing again yesterday but the de icer has at least kept working.

Here is 330 this morning (when I had to be out there so figured I’d take a photo and top off the trough) One of the goldfish even photobombed.

And then I forgot to plug the heater back in so it looked like this this morning

 

[primmiemoo]

I haven't seen ice on a water trough that thick since 2018. A flashback just looking at the photo!

How's the fish?

 

[Blaithin]

I haven't seen ice on a water trough that thick since 2018. A flashback just looking at the photo!

How's the fish?

It’s not even an inch thick! I just stepped on it and pushed it in the water so it’ll melt

Fish is fine. There’s three in there and at this point they’ll probably survive the apocalypse. They’ve been slurped down to the bottom so many times I don’t know how they’re still around. They’ve got to be at least 3 years old.

 

[Ukjay]

So did have to get the water flowing again yesterday but the de icer has at least kept working.

Here is 330 this morning (when I had to be out there so figured I’d take a photo and top off the trough) One of the goldfish even photobombed.
View attachment 939435

And then I forgot to plug the heater back in so it looked like this this morning
View attachment 939436

I was scratching my head earlier as I had a niggle I read something about you having heaters in troughs somewhere..
May have just dreamt that though so ignore me

 

[Blaithin]

I was scratching my head earlier as I had a niggle I read something about you having heaters in troughs somewhere..
May have just dreamt that though so ignore me

There is. The floating thing near the fish in the first photo is a de icer. Keeps the top open.

Or at least it does when I plug it in

 

[primmiemoo]

It’s not even an inch thick! I just stepped on it and pushed it in the water so it’ll melt

Fish is fine. There’s three in there and at this point they’ll probably survive the apocalypse. They’ve been slurped down to the bottom so many times I don’t know how they’re still around. They’ve got to be at least 3 years old.

Ah, so it's not as thick as it looks! Amazing that the fish tolerate chill that much, but then, their wild cousins are incredibly hardy.

Your Gwen does look as though she has a calf. Love their fluffy coats, btw

 

[Blaithin]

Ah, so it's not as thick as it looks! Amazing that the fish tolerate chill that much, but then, their wild cousins are incredibly hardy.

Your Gwen does look as though she has a calf. Love their fluffy coats, btw

It gets thick along the top edge because that’s where it freezes all the time. It won’t melt until it warms up again. But the layer out in the middle isn't that thick. Maybe half an inch. Granted it was only about 5 hours of freeze time hah

The fish are just run of the mill goldfish. They say goldfish can survive being completely frozen in ice, probably one of the few that could survive year round in the trough.

 

[Ukjay]

There is. The floating thing near the fish in the first photo is a de icer. Keeps the top open.

Or at least it does when I plug it in

Yeh, I know - I was referring to a post potentially last year I thought I recalled on how you coped etc ( from the question raised about your water).

I'm getting old so the memory is not what it used to be, possibly

 

[Blaithin]

Yeh, I know - I was referring to a post potentially last year I thought I recalled on how you coped etc ( from the question raised about your water).

I'm getting old so the memory is not what it used to be, possibly

Ah. It’s not always plugged in. If it’s above -10 the water can keep itself open most of the time. Between animals drinking and the couple refills a day it doesn’t build up much ice.

As you can see, doesn’t take long to freeze up in the real cold days though. Cows can punch through until it’s about an inch then it’s a job for the axe.

 

[Ukjay]

Ah. It’s not always plugged in. If it’s above -10 the water can keep itself open most of the time. Between animals drinking and the couple refills a day it doesn’t build up much ice.

As you can see, doesn’t take long to freeze up in the real cold days though. Cows can punch through until it’s about an inch then it’s a job for the axe.

Interesting evolution in disparity vs UK having - 1 etc.
I love how we appear to struggle here with relatively high temps compared to you, and you just get on with it.
Our knobbers just moan etc

 

[Prairie]

With wind chill here in Manitoba this morning -48c, cattle have concrete water troughs heated all the time, both in the water and underneath where pipe comes out of ground. Works reasonably well but just have to check every day to make sure that there is no freezing round the edge. No big area of water just enough for 4 animals to drink at a time, pipes have to be 7ft in ground to stop freezing. Just another way of farming.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Interesting evolution in disparity vs UK having - 1 etc.
I love how we appear to struggle here with relatively high temps compared to you, and you just get on with it.
Our knobbers just moan etc

Not surprising as we just don't need to be ready in that way.

Mostly.

I recall a discussion about Heathrow being closed for snow and the comparison that Oslo airport had only closed the main runway for 25 minutes total since it opened in the 1970's (when it snowed so hard their fleet of snowploughs couldn't clear it fast enough). Why WOULD Heathrow own a large fleet of snowploughs when they might never be used?

 

[Blaithin]

Interesting evolution in disparity vs UK having - 1 etc.
I love how we appear to struggle here with relatively high temps compared to you, and you just get on with it.
Our knobbers just moan etc

If you don’t have the equipment then you can’t cope.

-1 would freeze pipes above the ground here. I can’t water animals with the garden hose. If farmers there invested in buried and protected lines then -1 wouldn’t be the limit point. But how often do you have to fight with that temp.

There’s absolutely no way we could run a UK set up here. The pipes would all explode for one. Easy enough to add heating elements or de icers or a light bulb to a trough, but if your pipes aren’t safe then the trough won’t matter.

 

[Ukjay]

Not surprising as we just don't need to be ready in that way.

Mostly.

I recall a discussion about Heathrow being closed for snow and the comparison that Oslo airport had only closed the main runway for 25 minutes total since it opened in the 1970's (when it snowed so hard their fleet of snowploughs couldn't clear it fast enough). Why WOULD Heathrow own a large fleet of snowploughs when they might never be used?

Interesting viewpoint when quite often on here, people chastise others for not being prepared or have the knowledge to cope with irregular situations..
Hey Ho, another school day..

As for Heathrow and snow ploughs - wonder what would happen if they were not prepared and for example you missed your holiday trip...

 

[How much]

Interesting viewpoint when quite often on here, people chastise others for not being prepared or have the knowledge to cope with irregular situations..
Hey Ho, another school day..

As for Heathrow and snow ploughs - wonder what would happen if they were not prepared and for example you missed your holiday trip...

I know a guy who works as a contractor at Heathrow and he recons on i think Wednesday night year round they have "snow plough practice" and run around the the site driving the snow clearing equipment pretending to clear snow .
Apparently the divers are all seconded from other jobs in Heathrow when it does snow so they need regular practice to get the skills needed , but he says it looks weird on hot July evening seeing a procession of snow ploughs pushing pretend snow.

 

[Blaithin]

Heres a view of the layers from overnight. Makes it obvious how much the de icer can keep open. Freezes about half an inch between rounds of drinks I guess

Well was froze up again today. Made a drain hole about 9’ down as the 5’ one keeps freezing up. Hope that fixes the issue or I may need to find my own steamer!

 

[Blaithin]

In the evolution of the trough ice.... 5? Days in, ice keeps growing from the west side. It will continue to build up until the temp warms up a bit and then it’ll gradually clear itself out again.

 

[Bill dog]

Minus 8 just now, so I’ve chucked old horse rugs and some coats round the water tanks( old ibc), to try and stop them freezing. 1055 weaned piglets gotta drink ! It’ll help a bit !

 

[primmiemoo]

The MF35 has a horse rug and old carpet over his bonnet tonight. It could be -4 overnight in general, but his house is in a real frost pocket.

It's a marvellously starry night, tonight.