I’ve never had a buck sale in February before.  This will be the first and last Feb. buck sale for me.  I don’t have a clue how it will go.  The current weather conditions will play a role–one way or the other.  Either bidders will be trapped inside due to the extreme cold and with nothing else to do, will peruse this online offering.  Or, they will be like, “I don’t want to own livestock in this extreme bull$h!t and I’m not bidding on another goat until it warms up.

We will see.

Make sure your stock is getting a good drink every day.  Feed them some hay.  Especially bucks and wethers.  Give them some grass hay that is high in roughage.  Not bermuda hay, but a stemmy native grass hay.  That stuff will help stir their rumen, providing body heat.  And it helps balance out the calcium to phosphorous ratio and prevent kidney stones.

One thing about these winter storms…..they are good for selling fuel, bread, milk and alcohol.  I didn’t stock up on bread and milk.   My diesel tanks for tractor fuel are gelled up.  I’ve moved round bales to make a wind block for cows & calves.  All of the goat sheds are strawed down.  The goats in the kidding barn do not even realize that there is an ass-kicking cold blast this week, last week and probably won’t feel the discomfort next week either.

Stay warm.  Stay safe.  Keep the water flowing.  For those of you kidding, lambing or calving right now, I feel for you.  A week from now will be better.