How cold is too cold for the little kids to be out in the barn? We have two, born last week, that I have left on their mom, and put under (well secured) heat lamps out there at night. The part of the barn they are in at night has two large, south-facing windows covered only by tarps, so it's a little airy, and the heat lamps are only enough to take a little edge off the cold (150V and 75V)

Temps have been around freezing, and down to 20 degrees some nights and they have done okay. My concern is that the next several nights we are expecting temps maybe in the single digits, with daytime highs close to freezing. If I brought them in(which would be much easier than hanging another lamp), I think it would be hard on them going back out. They have on little sweaters(only a little help from the cold). Does anyone else deal with this kind of cold for their young kids? Can they take it? What would you do?

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), January 15, 2002

Answers

I live in a cold climate too and don't worry about this unless it gets super cold. If kids are normal size and healthy, and they have a good layer of bedding to curl up beside mom and drafts aren't blowing in on them, they should do okay. Don't we all worry so?!

-- Lynn (moonspinner@bluefrognet.net), January 15, 2002.

Hi Mary... sounds like you're doing fine with the heat lamp and sweaters... I agree that bringing them in and then taking them back out will do more harm than good. I think they are hardier than we give them credit for sometimes. If they're out of the wind and wet weather, can lay on clean dry bedding and snuggle together, they'll be fine...the fresh air is better for them than being locked into an air-tite barn. Make sure adults have plenty of good hay to keep them rumenating...that's what keeps them warmest. Heat lamps are very dangerous even in the safest of situations... I rarely use them...only when I have wet newborns born in very cold and damp weather, and only until they're dry...then they get re-freshed deep bedding and the lamp goes off! :) patty Prairie Oak Miniatures http://www.minifarm.com/prairie_oak visit our message board! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Littlegoats moderator

-- Patty Putnam (littlegoats@wi.rr.com), January 15, 2002.