Recipe: Hot Chocolate

There are many recipes for homemade hot chocolate. I modified some that I found to my tastes. Here is my recipe:

1-1.5 C Milk

1T baking cocoa (regular or special dark)

2T Sugar

Pinch of cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Pinch of nutmeg, ginger, and/or cloves.

1.     Pour the milk into a sauce pan and scald it (let little bubbles form around the edge)

2.     Add sugar and stir until dissolved

3.     Add baking cocoa and spices, stir

4.     Pour into mug and enjoy.

You can use less sugar; I just like my hot chocolate strong and very sweet.

Winter

Winter can be a hassle for livestock and people. If you live in the north, your zones are lower and you can’t plant some of your favorite foods, like oranges and cinnamon. This cold season also requires you to do some prep on the housing and modify the livestock’s diets.

Water in Winter

Keeping the water in your barn, pasture, and coop is difficult in below freezing weather. You have some options; the first is to get a heated water bowl. These can be expensive and you have to install them in each housing. The upside to this option is that you rarely have to check the water (only twice a day). If you want to install one, you might as well install a constant flowing water system too. The other option is to change/check the water 3-4 times a day as it freezes. To do this in the winter means that you need rubber water bowls and time to check them. If the water frozen in a metal bowl, the bowl will develop a hole. The rubber bowls don’t bust and the ice pops right out of them.

Keeping Chickens in the Cold

When you choose the chicken breeds you are keeping, be sure to pick breeds that are winter hardy. The next step in to winterize the coop. You do this by cleaning the coop and put a thick layer of bedding in the coop. Make sure there are no drafts on the floor. You can not close off all ventilation in the coop because the chickens will suffocate. Keep windows partially open or have vents installed at the top of the coop. Instead of cleaning the litter each week, you will add a layer of bedding. This makes the manure underneath compost and produce heat (again, make sure the coop has ventilation).

After you give the chickens their supper, give them some oats/ oatmeal as a treat. This works best for cold nights and help them keep their body heat. Oats are digested slow and keep the body warm.

Water keeps body temperatures even, so make sure the chickens have plenty of fresh water.

Goats

Goats are winter hardy and don’t start to shiver until 15degrees F. They need a shelter to block the wind and a draft free floor area. It’s also best to keep the litter dry. Goats also huddle together for warmth and sleep.

Like the chickens, goats can have oats as a treat before bed to keep them warm throughout the night. They also need plenty of fresh water.

Vitamins and Minerals

Always research the amounts needed for each species of livestock. Not all feeds have what the animal needs. And some hobby farmers choose to mix their own feed. in this instance, it is important to look into what the livestock needs and be sure that the feed has everything. 

Any vitamin or mineral deficiency in the soil can be supplemented with other sources. Most farmers keep a small amount in places in the barn for the livestock to eat as needed. This is also a good practice for baking soda, which can help settle a goat's upset stomach.

For less of a head ache, you can opt to purchase vitamin and mineral mixes from feed stores. Be sure that the vitamin and mineral mix you choose has the proper amounts of the required vitamins and minerals. Some of these mixes may also include ingredients to help with kidney stones or urinary calculi (a fatal affliction for male goats).  There are also blocks (billy blocks or supplement blocks) that can be placed in the field for the livestock to eat as they need.