While I'm unthawing after evening chores, I'll tell you a little bit about taking care of livestock in the frigid sub zero temperatures of the Midwest. The thermometer is currently at 9 degrees Farenheit, which is a huge warm up from -1 that it read this morning.
My parents asked this very question a couple of weeks ago during our last sub zero stretch. I think they asked out of curiosity, but mostly to be smart @$$3$ about the inevitable answer. In short...it sucks!
So how is it taking care of livestock when the mercury doesn't even reach zero? The most obvious first answer is that the worst part is frozen water. But that isn't the worst part. Frozen water is not nearly as bad as the buckets of water that you have to carry out to them.
Why?
It's below zero and you're dealing with water so you can't wear gloves. So you're hands FREEZE! And as much as you'd think that is the worst part - it's still not.
The worst part about taking care of livestock in sub zero temperatures is that you're dealing with fresh water while not wearing gloves, so your hands freeze from the air and then they get wet and what do all of the animals' enclosures have in common? Metal latches.
I have a very real and very probable fear that my hands are going to freeze to one of the metal latches while trying to get in or out.
It's amazing what you can do with your hand tucked inside the sleeve of your coat. I've learned to open and close latches, but it's inevitable...I'm going to forget. I just hope that Mr. pays attention to the clock and comes out to check on me.
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Neoprene. You need neoprene gloves. They are the stuff that wetsuits are made out of. The only bad part is that if your hands sweat, they don't breathe, but at least the cold water won't get in. DH says you can get them at Gander, Cabela's, and possibly even F&F locally. If not that, he says, get two or three cheap pair of regular ones and just rotate them through the dryer. He has lots of experience watering livestock in the winter. :)
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