Fuzzy and feathered Middleboro residents hunker down in bitter temps
Two miniature donkeys are ready to play in the snow. Photos by Mari Huglin 
Chickens at Forever Farm are curious about the snow. 
One chicken checks out the cooler temps. 
Forever Farm was covered in snow. 
The Forever Farm donkeys wear jackets when the weather cools down. 
Goats are also at Forever Farm. 
Donkeys explore their snow covered paddock. 
One donkey is unsure of coming inside or staying outside. 
One donkey rolls around in the dirt. 
Donkeys wait to eat some hay in the cold. 
The barn and sign for Forever Farm.
A goat at Soule Homestead hunkers down. 
Everything at Soule Homestead was covered in clean snow. 
Snow was so deep in some areas at Soule Homestead.
The community gardens at Soule Homestead covered in snow. 
Chickens at Soule Homestead enjoy the sun. 
The chickens are inside and protected from the chilly weather at Soule Homestead.
Two miniature donkeys are ready to play in the snow. Photos by Mari Huglin
Chickens at Forever Farm are curious about the snow.
One chicken checks out the cooler temps.
Forever Farm was covered in snow.
The Forever Farm donkeys wear jackets when the weather cools down.
Goats are also at Forever Farm.
Donkeys explore their snow covered paddock.
One donkey is unsure of coming inside or staying outside.
One donkey rolls around in the dirt.
Donkeys wait to eat some hay in the cold.
The barn and sign for Forever Farm.
A goat at Soule Homestead hunkers down.
Everything at Soule Homestead was covered in clean snow.
Snow was so deep in some areas at Soule Homestead.
The community gardens at Soule Homestead covered in snow.
Chickens at Soule Homestead enjoy the sun.
The chickens are inside and protected from the chilly weather at Soule Homestead.
MIDDLEBORO — After a foot of snow, furry and fuzzy residents of Middleboro and Lakeville bundled up for frigid temperatures and a little more snow.
Forever Farm and Rescue has prepped for the winter donning their donkeys with colorful jackets.
Nichole Botelho, founder and president of Forever Farm, runs the farm with her husband and two toddler sons. She cares for 12 donkeys, four goats, two pigs, one mini horse and a handful of chickens.
She said that to prepare for the cold she made sure to get a lot of hay, food and water prepped for the animals.
Botelho also checked all of the animals’ heated water buckets, making sure that they were working and continually full. She prepared the farm last week by making sure all the plowing equipment was out and ready, and salted all the paths that could be.
After the recent winter storm, Botelho shoveled out the paddocks so all the animals could enjoy time outside. The animals are usually out from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., but with the colder temperatures they spend more time inside.
Botelho said that they watch the wind to decide when the animals can go outside. If it is below 20 degrees and windy, all the animals are kept inside.
“Everybody has a place they can go to get out of the wind, but if it's super cold, we'll just keep the door shut for a while,” she said.
The donkeys, pigs, chickens and goats are unbothered by the cold weather according to Botelho.
“As long as they have their warm water, plenty of hay to eat, they're pretty good and easy going,” Botelho said.
Alongside jacketing their donkeys, Botelho makes sure all the animals have blankets and jackets that fit properly.
Some farmers do not jacket their animals since they already have fur, but Botelho likes the extra warmth for hers.
“We just prefer to jacket them because it gives us an extra layer of assurance that they're okay,” she said.
Last weekend, Botelho made sure each animal got a warm meal each day while checking for any gaps where wind could enter in the barns and stables.
She said she loves to finish all the chores seeing the animals happy in their new clean spaces even though it is harder to do in the winter.
“It's a self-fulfilling kind of thing, but you definitely have to love it to get up and do this every day in this kind of weather,” Botelho said.
