Windchill -20/40 degree expected tips on keeping animals safe.

[Foxhaven]

Regards the heated buckets, we have used them since getting Luke and Legend and they do not fuss at all with the cords. I put in GFCI outlets in the stalls of course. I would regard them as safe. Even Sam the Donkey doesn't mess with the cords. I would not worry about them.

Making the cords non-removable from the stall wall would inhibit cleaning them and refilling them...

We live at 8,000 ft. and zero is fairly routine. Our guys also like being outside, frosty muzzles and all. However ... 40 below isn't routine!

 

[Minimor]

I do have Minis that would bother the cords--there is no way I would leave one where any of them could reach it.; I would have to have the bucket fastened securely so it couldn't be tipped, flipped or stomped on/in and where the cord is completely inaccessible.

 

[Tab]

It is -3 right now after a heat wave last night of 47. I will probably check on the horses in a few hours. Minis are hardy, thank the Lord! There will be no doubt that the wind chill factor will be extremely low tonight.

 

[happy appy]

We are at -38 again tonight. I have everyone inside and heated buckets hanging full of water. I also give 2nd cut hay while we are having a cold snap because I find they poop more and a little looser. No one gets grain normally so I don't give any during a cold snap. Mine have been doing great so far with me doing it this way.

 

[misty'smom]

Well the wind is just relentless out there tonight, temp going down to 0 with wind chills in the -20 range, Yikes!!!!! That is cold for Va, but I know that some of you here are experiencing colder temps and more snow!! I don't know how you all do it on more of a routine winter weather with temps like that!!! All I can say is..........You all are brave hardy souls!!!

Brought my 2 girls in around 5 pm as usual, gave them their grain and put lots of hay in their bin and a pile on their stall mat!! Also borough them a bucket of really warm water!! Then went out for my last check of the night a little while ago adding some hot water to their bucket! I hope my babies stay warm and snug in their little barn tonight! I do have to say my barn always feels warmer than the temp outside, it isn't big but seems to be build well and not drafty at all!! Here is a few pics from the fall right after we put electric in the barn!!!!

Hope everyone stays warm and safe in this brutal weather pattern!!!!!!!!!

 

[targetsmom]

I have one mini - Princess - that I can't trust with a cord but the others, including the weanlings, are all fine. Princess gets a home made insulated bucket that gets topped off at bed check. Because Rusty couldn't raise his head very high when he came home from the hospital we are using a Playmate cooler on the floor in his stall and that works very well. We do tie it to the wall with a baling string but we could probably trust him not to tip it over!

 

[Little ones]

Another way of protecting the cord and the minis is to run them through PVC pipe (I use 2") Most of my outlets in the barn are above the stalls, so I just cover the part of the cords that are in or near the mini stalls. I, too have one that is "mouthy". The others probably won't bother, but as I always say MINIS Will EAT ANYTHING

 

[SampleMM]

I've been using heated buckets for well over ten years. I've never had a problem. Now, I also have the huge muck bucket sized ones for when they are outside. In the winter, I would never be without them!

 

[Tab]

Do you guys all have your heated buckets hooked up to GFCIs? Our barn is an old dairy barn. Probably wouldn't ever use heated buckets until the outlets get updated. We don't have heated buckets and so Winter is always heck here. It got down to -15.3 last night (f). It has been colder, but it has been a long time since it has gotten this cold.

 

[Rhondaalaska]

I don't have a gfi plug but I should. My bucket hangs on the wall by the inside door and the cord goes up the wall and over the other side to the plug. I feed all the hay my mare can eat on the cold days. When it is cold they need that extra hay. I adjust the amount as she needs. Somedays more hay and somedays less. I tend to feed at least twice the normal amount. Although on a few days she ate more than that.

 

[Foxhaven]

Do you guys all have your heated buckets hooked up to GFCIs? Our barn is an old dairy barn. Probably wouldn't ever use heated buckets until the outlets get updated. We don't have heated buckets and so Winter is always heck here. It got down to -15.3 last night (f). It has been colder, but it has been a long time since it has gotten this cold.

Absolutely, easy insurance... GFCIs are easy to install and not nearly as flakey as when they first came out. Do it by all means. Especially where water is involved, ESPECIALLY if your floors are concrete. Ours are rubber mats over dirt but still a good idea.

 

[ohmt]

My great grandparents bought their first mini in the late 70's and my family has had them up here in frigid ND ever since.....we've never had heated water buckets. Would love them, but we do OK without. The horses to ok without (we do warm, soppy beet pulp though). We got to 60 below this past weekend (we always have at least 1 of those days every winter) and the horses usually choose to be outside doing their thing. Keeping close tabs on everyone (hands on every day!) and free feeding does the trick. They do better than we do in these extreme temps I think

 

[TheCaseFamily00]

I'm happy to report we're through the cold temps just trying to deal with the load of snow,possibly freezing rain now. I'd much rather be bailing hay

 

[izmepeggy]

Well the wind is just relentless out there tonight, temp going down to 0 with wind chills in the -20 range, Yikes!!!!! That is cold for Va, but I know that some of you here are experiencing colder temps and more snow!! I don't know how you all do it on more of a routine winter weather with temps like that!!! All I can say is..........You all are brave hardy souls!!!

Brought my 2 girls in around 5 pm as usual, gave them their grain and put lots of hay in their bin and a pile on their stall mat!! Also borough them a bucket of really warm water!! Then went out for my last check of the night a little while ago adding some hot water to their bucket! I hope my babies stay warm and snug in their little barn tonight! I do have to say my barn always feels warmer than the temp outside, it isn't big but seems to be build well and not drafty at all!! Here is a few pics from the fall right after we put electric in the barn!!!!

Hope everyone stays warm and safe in this brutal weather pattern!!!!!!!!!

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I remember when you built your little barn.

And I am STILL envious.

 

[misty'smom]

Thank you Peggy!! My little barn has worked out well especially since we put in electricity this summer. We have had the barn, Misty and Josie for about 18 months now and only a few things I would tweek maybe this summer. There is plenty of storage for tack, hay, feed etc...so I think I did plan well for my first time barn!! I know it's not fancy like some I have seen, no running water or shower stalls but for 2 minis I love it!!!! It's surprising on those freezing cold days that it wasn't too bad in there not drafty at all, so it has been put to the cold test this year!!

 

[Danielleee]

I'm jealous of everyone with heated water buckets. My horses are boarded at my grandmothers and she won't let me get heated buckets because it'll "make her electric bill too high" I'd rather help her pay her electric bill than break ice out of all of the buckets and tubs!!!!

 

[chandab]

I'd love a heated water bucket or tub, too; but my horse barns don't have electricity, maybe one day they will.

 

[Foxhaven]

I'm jealous of everyone with heated water buckets. My horses are boarded at my grandmothers and she won't let me get heated buckets because it'll "make her electric bill too high" I'd rather help her pay her electric bill than break ice out of all of the buckets and tubs!!!!

Replace her lights with LEDs, including floods... get heated buckets... her electricity bill will go DOWN (unless maybe you are talking about dozens of them). It is interesting what people will and won't do when it comes to the dreaded utility bill... LOL.

LED bulbs are coming down in price, do not have the heat of incandescents (reduced danger in a barn), and do not go dim in the cold like CFLs (and do not have mercury). And they last virtually forever. My motion activated LED floods were reasonable and are friggin' BRIGHT (foxes trip them regularly around here... get it... Foxhaven...).

BTW... buckets and trough heaters only draw electricity when they need to.