Chores at -20F

rusty6 · Jan 24, 2021

Shot some video as i did the evening cattle chores today. It had warmed up to -20F in the afternoon. Fine as long as we stay out of the slight Northeast wind.

Cattle chores Jan 24

Dennis K (WA) · Jan 24, 2021

Oh my Rusty, that's cold. I once had to work a few days in Libby Montana at those temps (1973). Could not do it today. Thank goodness I don't have to. Stay safe out there.
Dennis

Kow Farmer · Jan 24, 2021

Wonderful video of the cattle sir. Chopping water tanks is never a fun job in the winter for sure. Cattle look very nice too. Thank you for sharing this with us. Kow Farmer Kurt. 🐂👩‍🌾

rusty6 · Jan 24, 2021

(quoted from post at 20:43:16 01/24/21) Wonderful video of the cattle sir. Chopping water tanks is never a fun job in the winter for sure. Cattle look very nice too. Thank you for sharing this with us. Kow Farmer Kurt. 🐂👩‍🌾

Thanks Kurt. They are acclimatized to cold winters and can handle it. Biggest thing is to get out of the wind which is why I like to have trees around. That little calf born in December has never known ground without snow on it or temperatures much above freezing.

Greg1959 · Jan 25, 2021

That video froze me to death just watching it!lol

Curious question????? Adding salt to water will lower its freezing point. Cttle need minerals, including salt, for their dietary intake. Could you add salt to their water trough therefore reducing the freezing point of the water plus, also, supplement their mineral input?

Might save you some busting up ice time.....

Bruce from Can. · Jan 25, 2021

Oh , but it’s a dry cold! Right ??

BillinCentralMO · Jan 25, 2021

Enjoyed watching you do chores. You ever get frostbite ?

Walston · Jan 25, 2021

Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed it.

caterpillar guy · Jan 25, 2021

2 questions. Why not use a waterer? OR will they not keep thawed while in use during the winter. We have Ritchie waterers that worked good without freezing in the cold even at that temperature. So they can have water anytime? And how deep do water lines have to be to not freeze there? We can get by with 4 feet deep. We can get to that -20 though not real often nor every year. Back in the 80's we had a couple winters that were that cold for a week or a month then warm up. We usually are not much colder than the teens sometimes down to zero over night. This is Shiawassee county MI. Sure does take a lot of feed to keep them warm at those temperatures too.

super99 · Jan 25, 2021

Just curious, Most guys around here in the Midwest have a water tank with a heater in it to keep it from freezing. Do you have to water them morning and evening?

coonie minnie · Jan 25, 2021

With your extreme cold, do the cattle have shelter or just a windbreak? How much area do you give them in the extreme cold?? Just curious...

showcrop · Jan 25, 2021

I am glad that I grew up before they invented wind chill we would probably have never gone outside to play. Frostbite was just part of normal life, like a little sunburn in the summer.

Jim in NC · Jan 25, 2021

Great video! Jerry Clower had a short routine in which he talked about the wind chill factor. He recalls that if Aunt Pet Ledbetter, I think, had ever heard or known about the wind chill factor she would have froze to death.

rusty6 · Jan 25, 2021

(quoted from post at 23:15:32 01/24/21) That video froze me to death just watching it!lol

Curious question????? Adding salt to water will lower its freezing point. Cttle need minerals, including salt, for their dietary intake. Could you add salt to their water trough therefore reducing the freezing point of the water plus, also, supplement their mineral input?

Greg, pretty sure considering the amount of water they have to drink it would take a whole lot of salt to keep that much water liquid. Be like drinking calcium chloride I'd guess.
Bill, yes I think I've had close to frostbite but no lasting damage. My right thumb was hurting some when I got in from morning chores.
And yes, serious cattle guys do have electric heated water bowls for the cattle and I hear they work pretty good most of the time. I'd have to trench in new water line 8 feet deep plus some new wiring. For this little hobby herd its not worth it. Breaking ice with the shovel is no big job and good exercise. Helps keep warm.

retired farmer · Jan 25, 2021

This is kind of funny, I have two of those racks in the bedroom, that you have your coffee pot setting on. Got mine at Home Depot.

RogerinIowa · Jan 25, 2021

It would far too much salt! And the water temp would be below freezing. Try it by putting salt on ice cubes, you could not stand it. Would freeze your mouth.
Letting a hydrant run or windmill brings up 50 degree water, but if wind stops or slows it can freeze the windmill pump.

rusty6 · Jan 25, 2021

(quoted from post at 09:44:33 01/25/21) This is kind of funny, I have two of those racks in the bedroom, that you have your coffee pot setting on. Got mine at Home Depot.

I think mine might have come from there too. Or maybe Canadian Tire.

jddrawbar · Jan 25, 2021

Enjoyed the video, thanks for posting.

rusty6 · Jan 25, 2021

(quoted from post at 10:31:34 01/25/21)
Letting a hydrant run or windmill brings up 50 degree water, but if wind stops or slows it can freeze the windmill pump.

I thought ground water temp was more like 40 degrees? I've never checked it to tell.

Dave41A · Jan 25, 2021

The salt in seawater lowers its freezing point to about 28F, and that's already too salty for any land animal to drink. -20F is below where salt even has effectiveness anymore no matter how much you put in. To melt ice with salt, 0F is the absolute lower limit (as discovered by Fahrenheit), but 10-15F is more realistic for everyday use.

Gary Reif · Jan 25, 2021

Thanks for posting, brings back memories of feeding in the cold and snow. Enjoy your videos.

sotxbill · Jan 25, 2021

is that a portable stump in the 1st pic?

rusty6 · Jan 25, 2021

(quoted from post at 19:58:00 01/25/21) is that a portable stump in the 1st pic?

No that is the stump of a huge spruce tree that I cut down a few years ago. I made a video of that on youtube too. It was a nice tree but too close to the house and was going to cause problems. So what do I do but go and plant another little spruce there. I'll likely be gone before it gets big enough to be a problem.

Chores at -20F

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