Farm Fresh Blog

Thursday, August 04 2011

Can you identify this picture?

It's a pupcicle!

Texas has reached triple-digit temperatures. Even with a summer trim, Briar is roasting in the heat. Until I can get a bathtub rigged up for her, she must take her dips in small water troughs. (the goats and sheep do NOT appreciate this!)

So in the mean time, I've started making Briar some pupcicles to help her beat the heat. Because we have fire ants, I didn't flavor the water with any meat; I just froze it in a dog bowl.

She seems happy enough with frozen water.

It has drawn some curious stares though . . .

"What is that stupid dog doing now?"

The dairy goats, by the way, have a most interesting relationship with Briar. They are scared of her . . . until something scarier comes along, then they run to Briar for support.

Addendum: I just had the bright idea that I could freeze the water, then add a slice of bologna, cover that with a thin layer of water, and freeze THAT! She could knock herself out getting to the bologna. Hopefully she can get it faster than the fire ants can discover it! I'll let you know how it works.

Send me more ideas for how you are handling animals and the heat!

Posted by: forensicfarmgirl AT 12:28 pm | Permalink | 7 Comments | Email

Comments:

I make frozen treats in ice cube trays with yogurt and peanut butter. Then freeze and give out a single ice cube at a time so they get eaten right away and nothing left to attract bugs. Natasha doesn't even want to go outside to do her business in this heat wave, so it's a nice bribe to get her to go out!

Posted by Janie on 08/04/2011 - 02:50 PM

I love this idea! My guys all love yogurt and peanut butter!

Posted by forensicfarmgirl on 08/04/2011 - 03:26 PM

I used one of those 4 foot diameter and about 2 foot deep plastic kiddie pools. When the dog wasn't using it, the cat would hide out by it and scare the birds trying to use it as a birdbath.

Posted by Eric on 08/04/2011 - 07:08 PM

Clean Run Store has these on sale. A lot of the agility folks love them: http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=1380&ParentCat=152 My gang don't want to stay outside any longer than it takes to pee/poop. Don't blame them, backporch thermometer was reading 112 last time I checked. Afraid to look again!

Posted by Virginia Gilmore on 08/04/2011 - 08:39 PM

Try putting treat filled ice cubes in a dish nestled in a larger water filled dish so the ants would have to swim a significant distance - by ant standards - to get to the food. She would probably also love water with ice cubes in it.

Posted by CarolG on 08/04/2011 - 09:13 PM

After I complained about the wet days of June, we had an unusually dry July. We get a brief heavy rain during a thunderstorm, then days of sunshine (hey, I'm not complaining). The land and grass is dry and I haven't had to mow for quite a while :-) I began to worry about the trees becoming too dry so I started the sprinkler yesterday when/where those trees created shade. Did the same today for an hour (the water is from my deep well). Terri likes it. http://www.kits-pups.info/Photos2011/sprinkler.jpg

Posted by Terri's Pal on 08/04/2011 - 09:18 PM

Don't over water use mulch and more mulch out to drip line. This forces tree roots down deep to get water (there is still deep water) ALL my trees survived 12 yrs of drought. They tend to drop some leaves if deciduous or have an early autumn. Don't panic it is their way of surviving. They may even shut a branch off. We had very severe retrictions NO GARDEN WATERING unless it was grey water or your own tank water. I am on 5 acres and lost no trees large or small.

Posted by Liz (Vic AUST) on 08/05/2011 - 12:33 AM