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February 7, 2026
If you don’t live in North-Central Texas, you might assume winter here is mild—and sometimes it is. But our weather is nothing if not unpredictable. We can swing from 110°+ summer heat to below-zero winter cold in the span of a few months. These extremes don’t usually last long, but when they hit, they hit hard.
The challenge isn’t just cold. It’s the way cold arrives here.
We don’t usually get fluffy snow first.
We get rain, then ice, then freezing rain, then sleet, and only sometimes snow.
Wet ground turns to ice. Wind cuts through shelters. Damp coats steal warmth from animals’ bodies. And for livestock raised outdoors on pasture—like ours—this combination can be far more dangerous than dry cold.
That’s why winter prep on a pasture-based ranch looks different than it does on confinement operations. Our animals live outside. They’re meant to be outside. But being hardy doesn’t mean being neglected.
On our farm, pasture-raised means animals spend the majority of their lives on rooted vegetation.
Our livestock are on pasture from the moment their hooves hit the ground.
Our poultry go to pasture as soon as they’re fully feathered and the weather allows.
That timeline shifts with the seasons.
In summer, chicks may move outside sooner.
In winter, if a storm hits right when birds are supposed to transition out of a climate-controlled brooder, we delay the move. Protection matters more than sticking to a schedule.
Right now, we don’t have baby chicks—but we do have kid goats, lambs, and livestock guardian puppies, which adds another layer of responsibility when extreme weather is coming.
For reasons we still laugh about (and sometimes shake our heads over), our does nearly always deliver in winter—even though our bucks run year-round.
Winter babies come with pros and cons.
The upside:
Kids nurse through winter and build strong immunity
They enter spring hardier and more parasite-resistant
They’re stronger before rotational grazing ramps up
The downside:
They’re vulnerable to cold, wet, and drafts
Shelter quality matters more than ever
Losses hurt harder when they’re preventable
We don’t want to baby our animals. Our goal is to raise resilient, adaptable, parasite-resistant livestock that thrive in natural conditions. But we’ve also learned—sometimes the hard way—that “letting nature take its course” can mean preventable suffering.
Experience is a hard teacher.
Over the last 7 years, we’ve learned:
Tree cover matters more than we thought—and we don’t have enough yet
Goats pile up when cold, which can tragically lead to smothering
Drafts are deadly, especially in skid-mounted shelters designed for mobility
Wet cold is more dangerous than dry cold
Sheep bring new learning curves—and our herd just grew from 8 to 13 in a matter of weeks
Each season teaches us something new. Some lessons come with heartbreak. Others come with gratitude.
All of them make us better stewards.
When forecasts call for sub-zero temps, freezing rain, or ice, we move into storm-prep mode:
We bring animals closer to the house
So we can monitor them more closely and respond quickly.
We protect water access
Tank heaters installed
Ice checks multiple times per day
We upgrade shelter
Extra straw or shavings for deep bedding
Heat lamps where safe and appropriate
Blocking drafts as much as possible
Creating dry, wind-protected resting areas
We increase nutrition
Cold burns calories. Staying warm takes energy.
Extra hay
Alfalfa pellets
Non-GMO feed
Added protein and sugars for fuel
We support mineral needs
Free-choice salt
Loose minerals available at all times
We prepare—and then we watch
Once preparations are done, there’s a season of waiting.
Did we do enough?
Will the babies make it?
Will the shelters hold?
Will the power stay on?
Will the ice be worse than predicted?
There’s no way to know until the storm passes.
So we check animals.
We document conditions.
We pivot when needed.
We learn.
And we refine our systems year after year.
Shepherding livestock teaches lessons far beyond farming.
It teaches:
Planning — preparing before the storm hits
Patience — waiting when outcomes feel uncertain
Perseverance — showing up even when it’s exhausting
Humility — knowing we don’t control the weather
Hope — trusting God with what we cannot control
We do our part.
And then we trust the Lord with the rest.
“Man may make his plans, but the Lord directs his steps.” — Proverbs 16:9
Preparing for winter storms isn’t about fear.
It’s about stewardship and trust.
We honor the animals God entrusted to us.
We learn from our mistakes.
We keep improving.
And we trust Him with the outcome.
Ranching—like life—is a constant balance between doing what we can and trusting God with what we can’t.