Hello from the winter Meadow! Despite being more than halfway to the spring equinox, we are in deep winter mode here. February has brought some of our deepest snow and coldest temperatures so far. I thought it would be fun to share some photos of all our animals in their winter mode.

The alpacas and sheep have their own shelters in the lower barn area to keep out of the elements. Every day all the animals get fresh water and hay, and Mary Mack the alpaca gets some supplemental grain as well. Sadly, she came down with a case of meningitis last summer. Although she has recovered and is as bright-eyed and sweet as ever, it unfortunately had permanent effects on her gait and her ability to keep on weight. The extra nutrition helps ensure she’s able to keep her strength up and regulate her body temperature through these cold months. 💛

In the first half of the winter, the animals and will still go off to explore and forage around the property. Once the snow gets deep enough, though, everyone seems to prefer to hibernate until spring. The chickens in particular are not huge fans of the snow, and much prefer to stay inside their cozy coop for a 3-month slumber party. (Although when there’s enough of a melt to free up some ground, they definitely make the most out of a short trip outside!) Our sweet barn cat Shadow also spends most of her time indoors this time of year — and as you can see, she spends most of it sleeping.