When we got out of the car, we were greeted by some hearty braying from Lulu and Fanny. As the weather warms up, the sheep and the donkeys are calmer, more relaxed, more affectionate. I think the winter was a struggle for them. People with pets struggle to understand the realities of farm animals, they can be sheltered from the wind and snow and ice, but not really protected from the cold. It is not uncommon for animals like sheep to experience some frostbite on their ears.
Farm barns are rarely, if ever, heated. There is an awful danger of fire in old barns – dust, dry wood, hay, and animals like sheep and donkeys (and most bovines) are very hearty, they can withstand extreme cold as long as they have shelter from wind and rain and ice. Given a choice, animals like donkeys will almost always be outside, even in heavy snow. We have a three-side pole barn, our animals can come in any time – they don’t care for strong sun or high wind – but we often come outside after a snow storm to find them covered in snow, they’d rather be in fresh air.
Ruminants are also highly susceptible to lung infections, closed spaces are not only not humane for them, they can be very unhealthy, even dangerous.
Donkeys and sheep are desert and mountain animals, they quite often live outside and are very hardy. In my decade plus of living with sheep and donkeys I have never lost one to the cold, two sheep at the first Bedlam Farm did experience frostbite on one or two ears, and this occurred inside of a pole barn. I got frostbite one bitter cold night on two toes and fingers, nobody came to my farm with the police to take me to a warm place.
