[bigchicken]

I hate this rain and the mess the fields are getting into, plodding through mud to get to the chickens, plodding through mud to feed the sheep and ponies. Most of this done in the rain or the dark or the wind and the winter is just starting. The animals must be miserable. there that's my rant for today.

[Miss Piggy]

The fields haven't been as wet as this for years here. Love visiting and feeding the animals but it does take some of the pleasure away when you are slipping and sliding and sinking into liquid mud. Haven't yet fallen face first but bet it wont be long. Have to keep moving or you just sink and get stuck and extremely difficult tomget going again.   

[jaykay]

That's just how I feel  And yes, what will be like by April 

[SallyintNorth]

Haven't yet fallen face first but bet it wont be long.

Today, moving the branch that holds the gate open when I go to check the ponies and three lots of sheep.   

Have to keep moving or you just sink and get stuck and extremely difficult tomget going again.   

Today, usual spot - while chivying cattle around into the pens.  (Do they know?  You betcha!  )

[little blue]

yup, same here too ... :/
okay, so minus 18 and 4 foot of snow this time last year wasn't exactly fun either for accidential smallholders either!

[CameronS]

we are frozen solid here, our road is sheet ice after the melting snow last night.   looking less forward to the 90mph winds supposed to be hitting us tomorrow

[doganjo]

I thought I hated the rain, mud and slime, but on reflection I think I hate the snow and freezing temperatures more.  Last year - no water for 4 weeks, no drainage for same, electricity outages, high gas bills.  So far this year, new wellies, rubber mats in duck run, wood burning stove.  Yup, prefer the flooded back garden and the mud..

[Brucklay]

The walk with Zip this morning wasn't too nice with the snow pelting my face but once we turned around it was fine and fine - melted a bit here but frozen solid now - I just think of the sheep poor feet when it soggy so think frozen is better even if I have to carry water and more water and more water ...... it does get done eventually!!

[tazbabe]

and today its going to get even worse! a red warning for high winds and snow/sleet.

my ponies live out, and every night i fret for them, can't wait for daylight so i can check they are ok, the fields are soddon, they have less and less solid ground to stand on, i feel so sorry for them. i do have a garage for use as a stable, but cloudy panics if i put him in.

the chickens, ducks and geese seem ok, they take themselves to bed around half 3 these days!

the dogs are going out for the necessary only, then back to the fireside, even the collie! who usually has to be enticed in during the day, she;s an outside kinda girl.

[lachlanandmarcus]

In the blizzard yesterday lunchtime I caught one of the two horses and then it took me 40 minutes to catch the pony as every time she turned  to let me put the headcollar on she got smacked on the bum by the driving and very hard snow and thought I was smacking her and exploded off around the field. Then I tripped over the electric fence line (white on white!) and fell flat on my face. All this when I had already put my back out lifting water buckets.

Forecast is much worse todays so the horses are staying in today!

[Sylvia]

Mud here in Devon! Liquid mud in every gateway and the pigs telling me "Hurry up. Hurry up" and trying to walk between my legs. I come home covered!!

[Fowgill Farm]

Same here violent winds and horizontal rain, pigs all had breakfasts in bed this morning, god knows where i'll find the trugs and buckets when i get home from work. left the dog on the sofa as he refused to go out to kennel! Batten down the hatches folks supposed to get worse later today and we're the lucky ones supposed to be much worse further north of us.
Stay safe everyone
Mandy 

[ellied]

Got flooded overnight and spent a couple of hours diverting water from the chooks and house into the hay   Now got the winds and the living room west window is actually rattling so I'm a tad worried in case it blows right in, closely followed by the chickens whose pen it looks onto

So no I don't prefer wind and rain to snow and frost - right now I'd rather have those and be able to move around outside, however slowly..

[Heather]

I'm in West Yorkshire and my hen run is turing into quagmire, we've had so much rain recently.  Today is absolutely foul  high winds & driving rain
I've got a makeshift shelter in one corner lined with straw and they huddle in there together.  One unfortunate little hen is moulting, so she'll be feeling the draught   

[Herdygirl]

I also live in West Yorkshire, mud is dreadful!  Shetland ponies have been having a hard time walking through it, so they are in and not happy, but they are soooo wet that i am scared of rain scald.  they can stay in until they are thoroughly dry before they go out again, they are all too old to cope well with this weather. ' My 'big' horses are happy to be out of the weather.

Not bothering the sheep though.

my thoughts are turning to TASers farther north, .......hope everythning is ok folks