Animals
It's a common misconception that growing a winter coat is triggered by the air temperature,
- Did We Put Our Summer Clothes Away Too Soon?
Yesterday had us thinking twice about the decision to put our warm weather clothesaway for the year! With temperatures approaching 70 degrees,the goats were wishing they could take off their thick wooly winter coats. Hang in there, kids...Old Man Winter...
- Winter Wardrobes
Well, it's official!It is time to put the summer clothes away and get the winter clothes out.How do I know this? Because all of our equines have done the same.Their sleek summer coats are long gone.... replaced by a thick, furry, and much shaggier...
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Summer gave us a preview yesterday as temperatures soared to 85.Part of why I love Pennsylvania so much is the change of seasons.But, usually the change is a little more gradual.Not so, it seems, this year.Spring arrived ahead of schedule,and it looks...
- Keeping Warm
Baby, it's cold outside!Night time temperatures have been dipping below zero.You might wonder how our equine friends stay warmthrough this harsh weather.Especially because they are not put away in a stall each night. No, our horses live out of doors...
- Sure Signs Of Autumn
Suddenly, the weather has turned. A chill is in the air...one that stays all day long. The leaves are changing and falling to the ground. The birds have started flocking. The ponies are starting to grow their wooly coats. I could go on and on. I love...
Animals
Fur Coat Ettiquette
The questions that you posed a couple weeks ago continue to provide me with
subject matter for this time when not much is happening on the farm.
Since it has been so incredibly cold this week,
it's a good time to address this next question.
Annie V. asked : "do all donkeys, horses, pigs grow winter coats, I saw the goat did and that he was trying to scratch it off, is that a sign that the weather is getting warmer. cant really see that now with all the snow we have but they may know something we don't. What about the fowls of any kind do they put on another layer of feathers? I see the birds around here are really puffy."
I can answer with respect to my herd.
Horses and donkeys have the gift for being able to grow a winter coat.
Some horses, and ponies, and especially minis and donkeys can grow extremely thick coats
in the winter time.
however, my equines begin to grow their winter coats long before it is chilly out.
And conversely, they begin to shed their winter coats before the cold weather leaves.
Our goats also grow very thick, wooly coats for winter and begin shedding them long before Spring.
This phenomenon of growing coat and shedding is actually triggered by the length of day.
Now that the days are getting longer, the herd is starting to let go of their winter coats.
Lucky for them, my equines are all very slow shedders, so they retain enough of their coats to keep them warm.
Because they hold on to their coats for so long, when the warmth of spring arrives,
I usually have to clip all of them to get rid of what is left of their winter fur...
in order to keep them cool.
As for Ginger and MaryAnn...
the pigs do not grow any extra hair in the wintertime.
This is why I keep their stall full of hay for them to burrow in...
with a heat lamp above to warm them.
They do, however, tend to shed a little hair in the heat of the summer;
growing it back in time for chilly autumn winds.
Because animals burn a lot of calories in the wintertime keeping themselves warm,
we feed lots of extra hay.
The extra hay puts a little wintertime weight on everyone,
that they usually shed over the summertime.
Animals also have a substance in their body called "brown fat" which helps to regulate heat.
I have been surprised to find that even on the coldest day,
if I put my fingers up beneath the forelock of the equines,
the area closest to the skin is toasty warm.
They truly don't seem to mind the cold, as long as they are busy nibbling!
As for the birds...
Many birds do grow extra feathers in the late fall. In addition to that, birds fluff up their feathers, trapping air between them and next to their skin to maintain their warmth.
The colder the temperature, the fluffier they get!
Keeping food available for birds is extremely important in the wintertime,
as this helps them to stay warm as well.
Feeding the birds is a commitment, for sure...
just remember, you might be saving a little feathered life!
I have been surprised to find that even on the coldest day,
if I put my fingers up beneath the forelock of the equines,
the area closest to the skin is toasty warm.
As for the birds...
Many birds do grow extra feathers in the late fall. In addition to that, birds fluff up their feathers, trapping air between them and next to their skin to maintain their warmth.
The colder the temperature, the fluffier they get!
Keeping food available for birds is extremely important in the wintertime,
as this helps them to stay warm as well.
Feeding the birds is a commitment, for sure...
just remember, you might be saving a little feathered life!
- Did We Put Our Summer Clothes Away Too Soon?
Yesterday had us thinking twice about the decision to put our warm weather clothesaway for the year! With temperatures approaching 70 degrees,the goats were wishing they could take off their thick wooly winter coats. Hang in there, kids...Old Man Winter...
- Winter Wardrobes
Well, it's official!It is time to put the summer clothes away and get the winter clothes out.How do I know this? Because all of our equines have done the same.Their sleek summer coats are long gone.... replaced by a thick, furry, and much shaggier...
- Happy As A Pig In Mud!
Summer gave us a preview yesterday as temperatures soared to 85.Part of why I love Pennsylvania so much is the change of seasons.But, usually the change is a little more gradual.Not so, it seems, this year.Spring arrived ahead of schedule,and it looks...
- Keeping Warm
Baby, it's cold outside!Night time temperatures have been dipping below zero.You might wonder how our equine friends stay warmthrough this harsh weather.Especially because they are not put away in a stall each night. No, our horses live out of doors...
- Sure Signs Of Autumn
Suddenly, the weather has turned. A chill is in the air...one that stays all day long. The leaves are changing and falling to the ground. The birds have started flocking. The ponies are starting to grow their wooly coats. I could go on and on. I love...