How sheep on the farm stay warm in the snow

This was the scene I was met with when I went to do chores after the big snow last week. The sheep had hay. But the snow doesn't bother them so why use it? 

They were lying around, chewing their cuds. A look of calm and contentment in the flock. The one little sheep in the foreground was almost completely covered in snow. 

She was warm despite the snow. How do I know? For one she is relaxed. It is easy to see if an animal is uncomfortable. 

Also, she has 4 inches of un-melted snow on her back. That means she has all her body heat trapped inside. Heat she is producing through metabolism and digestion. 

These sheep also have from 4-8 inches of dense wool. The wool is covered in lanolin which is a heavy, water resistant oil. When we as humans want a garment that keeps us warm in the outdoors even if it gets wet, we go for wool.

So, although that picture does look cold, rest assured that the sheep are doing quite well. While most of us would go for 80 degrees right now, the sheep would actually be uncomfortable in the heat.

In preparation for the heat, we will shear these guys which will allow for a little more comfort as the temperature rises in the Spring.

Not all animals do this well in the cold. Many animals hibernate such as raccoons, bears, possums. etc. Animals such as deer, sheep, cows, and elk thrive in the winter as long as they have plenty of food to eat. The food being the source of their heat.

Even pigs do quite well as I have written about before. Depending on their regional genetic adaptation, pigs can stay warm and thrive all winter. There are even wild pigs in sub-artic Siberia!

How cold tolerant an animal is depends on the type of animal, the genetics, and how it is cared for. For these sheep, it isn't just cold tolerance, they thrive in the cold.