“Cows were huddled in, pressed up against each other in corners of pens and refused to move. Farmers couldn’t get them to move into milking barns. Herd instinct,” said Gerald Baron, executive director of Save Family Farming, a farm advocacy group. “Most cows died from injuries from each other and some from cold exposure. They went down and couldn’t get up.”
About 28 cows that were injured are likely to be euthanized, farmers said.
“Each cow could be worth $2,000, so we’re looking at $3.2 million plus future production loss, but right now the bigger impact is a huge emotional loss to farmers,” said Dan Wood, executive director of Washington State Dairy Federation.
Dairy farmers already are struggling to survive in extremely difficult market conditions, so the storm losses are like a double-whammy, he said.
“Farmers put up hay bales for wind barriers and tried to do what they could. Farmers were out there in zero degrees or less with wind chill, risking their lives to save cattle,” Wood said.
No farmers or workers were reported injured, he said.
All of the donkeys and horses are snug in their stalls. They have the choice to enter or stay and today they have made the choice to stay inside. The farm is cold, along with an arctic feeling breeze. Walking out the door and looking out our windows I see the beauty of winter and thank GOD we are warm and our donkeys and horses are warm. Warm (clean) water is very important to prevent colic along with some fresh lose salt and a slow feeder with hay.
Warning signs of a donkey, mule or horse needing a blanket and your attention:
The sky has a light pink and blue tone to it as it is evening. The olympic mountains are simply a beauty for the eyes to see. Nothing in this world is as beautiful as a farm in my opinion. I love the farm. Soon it will be warm and time to cut hay again. Life on the Donkey Whisperer Farm has four-seasons. The bitter winter will end and spring will be back in full force.
Select Check The Weather On The Donkey Whisperer Farm (Weather Underground)
Thank you for reading the Donkey Whisperer Farm Blog. I enjoy sharing our little farm with the world as each of the animals and the farm is a blessing from Jesus Christ.
Today was a great day to rest, read and sit by the fireplace. 🙂
Today was such a blessing as we are finally home. Such a wonderful and beautiful day to sit and watch the snow and the fire. The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful place to get to live.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Melody Johnson, Trainer/Owner
Donkey Whisperer Farm ®
Our last winter in the 5th wheel has been a challenge while we watch our home be built. We are looking forward to spring and saying goodbye to this wet and snowy Pacific Northwest winter in Sequim, WA.
Seems the snow and rain would not stop. Plants in my little flower garden did not survive this winter. The farm seems to be awakening, the hay-field is growing, soon it will be time to cut and bale hay again. Soon the layers of warm winter clothes will be no more. Wondering where I placed my sunglasses!
We built the barn for the donkeys and horses before our home.
A winter like this one is why we built our barn first. The equine need a place to get out of the wet, cold/snow and wind. Sadly equine die every year from winter conditions. Please give your equine shelter, warm water and clean hay free from mold.
Donkeys evolved from the desert the wet, snow, mud is difficult to combat. Donkeys prefer a dry climate to keep their hooves healthy.
SEATTLE — Were you born after 1985? Then you just experienced the coldest winter of your life. The National Weather Service says the Seattle-area has had the coldest winter season since the winter of 1984-1985 and one of the top 20 coldest winters since record keeping began in 1984.
The agency says the average temperatures taken at the Sea-Tac Airport weather station were colder than normal for December, January, and February, with 21 more nights near or below freezing than normal, adds Q13 Fox Chief Meteorologist Walter Kelley.
Those three months also had fewer days with highs above 50 degrees and far more days with lows below 35 degrees than normal.
While we saw an average amount of rainfall overall this winter, snow was the big showstopper, making this season the snowiest winter since the winter of 2008-2009 with 11.2 inches of snow reported at Sea-Tac.
That also lands this winter in the top 30 snowiest winters for the Puget Sound.
Today marks the end of the meteorological winter season (December – February), prompting many meteorologists to look back at the historic winter. Spring officially begins March 20, 2017.
We didn’t forget about the rain
Yes, it rained/snowed a lot last month. 2017 was the wettest February in more than 50 years — since 1961 to be exact.
Q13 meteorologist Rebecca Stevenson says out of the top 10, it was the second wettest February on record at Sea-Tac with 8.85″ precipitation.
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Today was such a blessing as we are finally home. Such a wonderful and beautiful day to sit and watch the snow and the fire. The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful place to get to live.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
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