The Amazing Cow Heater

When I woke up this morning it was COLD! Not -40 below zero like some of my coworkers are used to up in Maine or Alaska. I'm talking Texas cold, which is pretty much anything below freezing. The homestead is so pretty when it snows or there's frost covering everything. I shivered for an extra 30 seconds opening the gate this morning just to admire how peaceful and beautiful our homestead looked. The crisp morning was so quiet and everything was covered in a thin white frost. Smoke slowly rose from the chimney as DW stoked a fire for the kids to sit by while she got breakfast started. (We do have electric heat, but with the firplace blower on and an good fire going, the heater doesn't kick on all day).

Cold on the homestead obviously has its drawbacks, like going out to milk at 5:30 a.m. when it's below freezing. I find though that once I get close to the cow and start handmilking, it's really not that bad. The three-sided milk barn we have cuts the wind out, and cows put off quite a bit of heat. Of course, it's not roaring heat like a fireplace would generate, but it's a gentle warmth that makes you want to snuggle closer. It makes winter milking more bearable. I found out today that cows also make good nose heaters in a pinch. My face is right there next to her flank, so why not use it to warm my nose up? Her udder keeps my hands warm, except maybe the last finger or two, and milking time usually rolls by pretty pleasantly.

It's not easy to force yourself to get up in the morning knowing you have to go out into the cold, but our barn's cow heater makes it better. I actually read about some European country where people used to build their houses over their barns so that in the winter the heat from the cows would rise up and heat their rooms. I'm sure the smell of "all things cow" would waft up there too, but they were used to it. Maybe if the power goes out in the winter we can bring the cows into the living room and snuggle up to them. I'll make sure to pass that one by the wife first.