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Post by BJMM on Dec 2, 2010 9:59:51 GMT 1
Haha Stacey re muck heap! I stand in ours to warm my feet up. I put my feeds in a large container with straw packed round them. The beet seems to freeze the most, but this def. helps. Re the tap: we were defrosting with a hairdryer (ok if you have electricity!) but have now got a polystyrene bucket-thing from B&Q that fits over the tap. Re the trough: I smash the ice with the poo scoop thingy that comes with the plastic bin for poo picking. If you have two of them you can lift the ice out without getting cold hands!
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Post by mmel001 on Dec 2, 2010 10:34:19 GMT 1
Cool thanks, might try a bucket over the tap! I've bought myself a hammer for the ice in the trough! The branch I was using can't get through the inches of ice now!
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Jen
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 1,500
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Post by Jen on Dec 18, 2010 14:02:34 GMT 1
Re breaking ice on the trough... why not just break a small nose sized area, and scoop the broken ice up and put on top of the unbroken ice with a colander. I am sure that it is not effective smashing the ice up on the whole surface of the trough as it just refreezes thicker.
If you can leave the water supply to just a constant drip / small trickle that stops it from freezing... tried and tested. My trough is very slightly over flowing, but by the smallest amounts and a much better compromise than no water at all!
As for sugar beet... I have in the last few days found that carpet is keeping mine from freezing. I had a load of off cuts and have lined a cupboard that I normally keep it in, and have a piece I fold up and over the top before I shut the door. If that hadn't worked I had a load of bubble wrap on standby that I was going to line empty feed bags with... loads available on freecycle!
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Post by specialsparkle3 on Dec 18, 2010 14:26:20 GMT 1
Re water troughs freezing. Always leave a plastic bottle half filled with water in your trough and that will make it easy to break at least in that area. ( That's how you keep fish ponds from freezing ) I never use soaked feed of any kind in the Winter as I have always believed no horse will enjoy a freezing cold meal. but I do always damp my feeds with very hot water justbefore feeding throughout the Winter, making sure they are wetter in weather like this. If you really do have to feed soaked food then why not soak it in the house overnight and carry it to the stables/ fields in the Morning.? Take a flask of boiling water with you and add just before feeding for warmth.,
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