Winter in Watkins Glen means lots of snow covering our lush, green grass, and that means that our cattle can no longer graze and take care of their food all by themselves. It also becomes dangerous for them to walk up and down the hills of their upper pastures once the ground becomes icy and snowy. In October we moved them down closer to the barns, so we could keep them on flat ground and start feeding them hay. Hay may not be as pretty as hillsides of emerald grass, but the cattle seem to think it’s pretty tasty! They’re fed round or square bales weighing 400-800 pounds. That’s a lot to lift, so we have to use our tractor, with a spike attached for this purpose, to move the bales into large feeders. Getting the feeders out and set up and attaching the spike to the tractor are among the winter preparations we carried out. At all times of year, making sure our animals have access to plenty of clean water is a priority. In the winter, this entails preventing water sources from freezing over, so our preparations include checking the heaters and thermostats in each of our automatic water units for the large animals and setting up pallet heaters for the birds and rabbits. Ice is also a problem because large animals can fall and get hurt when their roadways are slick. Tons of sand are brought to the sanctuary to spread on the roadways before and after ice storms and throughout the winter to ensure all of the animals are safe. While many of our animals love playing in the snow, they also love coming back to nice, warm barns. To make sure all the buildings are cozy for them, we filled in any gaps that formed between the walls and the ground since last winter and covered exhaust fans to keep out drafts. We also installed ceramic heaters for our residents who are most vulnerable to the cold – birds, rabbits and special needs animals. Our goats like to hang outdoors even in the winter, but some of them can get a little chilly, so we outfit them with their very own goat coats, which will soon be taken out of storage and given a thorough cleaning. One of our older goats, Shanti, is already making a fashion statement in her neon pink number. We have also brought all the hoses inside, checked electrical outlets, readied chains for use on tractor tires, winterized equipment, and spread compost on pastures, and are working on completing many other tasks before the weather worsens. The air is cold and we've already had a few flurries, but we know that the best way to stay warm is to stay busy. So let it snow!
by Susie
The official start of winter on December 21 is fast approaching, and though the dwindled daylight and falling temperatures may tempt some of us to consider hibernation, we won’t be taking this seasonal change lying down at the New York Shelter – there’s way too much to do! As the surrounding hills and meadows become a winter wonderland, we are hard at work getting the shelter ready for these long, cold months.
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