Every family who celebrates Christmas has their own rituals. For our family, feeding the cows is as much a part of the ritual as opening presents, lighting the advent candle, playing carol music or preparing the big family dinner. Sometimes we do chores in waves — feed in one pasture, come in for a hot chocolate and a round of presents, then head back out to deliver hay to another pasture. Sometimes, the process involves chopping ice from frozen water tanks. While the method of hay delivery has become more efficient over the years, and better tank heaters have mostly eliminated the need for ice chopping, the Christmas routine remains mostly the same. Caring for the animals takes priority. Of course, games of cowpie pond hockey, snowball fights and sledding with the cousins find their way into the routine as well. It’s Christmas, after all.
The AgriLife Studios Field Journal 