Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living Getting Ready For Winter?

On the farm, it's blended fuel, chains on tractors, and loader. 13-30 oil, a feed sac over half the grill.

Waterer heaters all checked over.

What do you farm, rural folks do?

Just got the first batch of 50/50 diesel delivered, and changed the hydraulic oil in the excavator to the winter light weight spec (we use the excavator for loading). Pumps that aren’t running are drained, everyone has their winter gloves and liners. The Kenworth got new shoes and fresh chains this year, air dryer and the Webasto heater serviced. Coon traps are out to thin the herd, neighbor kid is making coon skin hats.

Other than that, just hoping the waders don’t leak....

Pretty much the same, just a bit earlier than some.

I don't do a lot different in the winter than I do the rest of the year. I will put a heater in a couple of water troughs, and keep the tractor batteries on a battery tender. We just don't have the real cold weather here like a lot of you do, and even if it does get cold, and it can, it doesn't last long.

Back when, we used to bank the house with tar paper, and hay bales, makes a dark basement.

Winter got here a few weeks ago,so everything was pretty much done.Stock tank heater has been making the electric meter spin and I am feeding more hay. Chains on tractor, snow blower greased and mounted. It has been in the teens most nights for awhile.

Like James we don't have to do a lot.

On cold days I'll bust the ice on top of the trough if needed. Drain the water pump after filling trough.

Put hay out daily. I do put hay racks out to keep it elevated but it takes 30 minutes to hang those once a year.

We'll have our first night below freezing tonight with it in the 20's. Been snowing a few hours now which is rare for around here.

We use four of this type of heater in the cattle waterers. I bought this one on our farm store discount day.
We need to date, and record the brand to learn if the Microflows are any better.

I use one of these. Thermostat control to 40* I believe. My horse tank is a dead 15cu ft chest freezer with a hole in the lid.



Never had ice in the tank. Don’t know what that adds to the meter, but it is a very economical method.

Doubt it would last w bovines!

Attractive, though!

Anyone remember cob-fueled tank heaters?

John, the "Cowboy" heater? I'll try to get another photo.

Can't find the cast iron heater, I see the the unsinkable steel heater.

I use a floating one Mike, 1500 Watts.Here it runs me about $20/mo. to run Have to protect it from the mules though.One will pull it out of the tank.I have 150 gallon poly.if it getsnear zero degrees, I will have ice around the edges,but there is enough open water for the mules to get a drink