# Wussifying your food!



## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

I see all the time where people are treating their livestock like they are a tropical bird. Let me give you some examples....

Blankets on horses.... IN THE BARN! If you want an animal to survive you have to get one that was born and raised in your area and allow them to adapt. Horses have survived for millions of years WITHOUT a blankie.

Southern cattle in northern climates and vice versa.... Up here the short hair cattle will suffer tremendously should we have an extremely cold and long winter. We have Highlanders that need absolutely no tending at all other than putting out some hay.

Heated chicken coops... Are you kidding me? If you keep your coop small and close the door at night you would be surprised how much heat the chickens put off. We have NEVER had a heated coop, we get chickens that are bred for our climate, also.

Animals have been around longer than people and they will be around after we are gone if we don't literally baby them to death.

How are you going to heat your chicken coop when the power goes out?


----------



## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

I agree ...

Long story, short ...

I know a man that had a climate control barn. His 4 horses never knew what hot or cold was ... it was always 75 degrees. (all year long) The riding rink was also under control ... For 7 years that was all they knew.

It was due to an untimely accident, in early spring that the horses had to be sold and giving a dose of reality... and a friend bought all four horses, just to keep them together.

He lost two within a month ... the other two were, touch and go but holding their own ... but did make it.


----------



## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

We have a 50' x 50' L shaped wind break for the cattle. I don't remember why, but one winter, my brother (4 years older than me) and I opened up part of the barn to let the cows go in when they were cold. We lost 4 cows that year. One of our older brothers taught us that the cows squeeze together inside and start sweating. Then they go out in the cold and get sick and die. 
The wind break ahs always worked just fine before that and ever since. And it was a long time before the two of us were in charge of the cattle again.


----------



## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Some harness horses are blanketed to keep them from hairing up to much, My thoughts are to stay as natural as possible, although having shelter for cows saves a lot of feed required for them to hold their condition, simple open faced shelter, heated by them if they choose to go inside. Hard to beat highlands for tough though, but they don't do so well on the open market here.


----------



## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

I saw a herd of highlands this past week while we were on the Blue Ridge Parkway... I was a little surprised.


----------



## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

Highlands in their prime are nothing more than short buffalo with longer horns....


----------



## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

My Rat Terrier sleeps on a down pillow right by me...does that mean I have pussified my dog?


----------



## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

As long as the Tasmanian devil stays at his post we will let that one slide


----------



## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

Tirediron said:


> As long as the Tasmanian devil stays at his post we will let that one slide


LOL! and he does...


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

RevWC said:


> My Rat Terrier sleeps on a down pillow right by me...does that mean I have pussified my dog?


I was wondering this too...

Winter drinks her water from a filtering fountain she shares with the cats and sleeps on the bed with us at night- again shared with the cats.

BUT she tells us when the bears and other predators are on the property.


----------



## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

Are you planning to eat your dogs? If so then yes.


----------



## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

Grimm said:


> I was wondering this too...
> 
> Winter drinks her water from a filtering fountain she shares with the cats and sleeps on the bed with us at night- again shared with the cats.
> 
> BUT she tells us when the bears and other predators are on the property.


My black lab won't let herself be wussified. She uses her clean water bowl as a last resort, she prefers to drink from the old scummy 5-gallon pail on the porch with dead bugs, sticks and leaves in it. I think it like wine, water needs to be aged for a spell to develop full flavor. Cold rain no problem! She prefers to be outside sitting on the compost pile in the pouring rain. Besides, that is when all the best mud puddles appear, she likes them fresh. She will and has eaten just about anything and you know the Labrador retriever rule: If you can't eat it or destroy it then roll in it!


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Woody said:


> My black lab won't let herself be wussified. She uses her clean water bowl as a last resort, she prefers to drink from the old scummy 5-gallon pail on the porch with dead bugs, sticks and leaves in it. I think it like wine, water needs to be aged for a spell to develop full flavor. Cold rain no problem! She prefers to be outside sitting on the compost pile in the pouring rain. Besides, that is when all the best mud puddles appear, she likes them fresh. She will and has eaten just about anything and you know the Labrador retriever rule: If you can't eat it or destroy it then roll in it!


Winter is a bit of a 'tomboy' as far as dogs go. She eats bear scat when we are taking our walks!
:brickwall:


----------



## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

A dog is one thing but chickens ... My hubby was telling me about the coop, one of the office ladies made for her 3 chickens ...complete with heat and air.


----------

