We've come to that time in the year where we occasionally get bouts of cold cold weather.. Now I know that in comparison to really cold places, our cold weather is kids stuff. But for people that are used to mid 40's (and upwards) and rain all winter long, anytime the temperature drops below 32 during the day time it causes all sorts of trouble.
Because we only get little bits of below freezing weather, we just don't have everything set up to handle it very well. Freezing temps around here mean it's time to bundle up and "make it work". Someday in the future we'll have all of our water lines buried so there are no more hassles with draining water hoses or worse yet, trying to thaw hoses that didn't drain or weren't drained for some reason. Also in the future is a new barn complete with a solarium for those cold but sunny days and we'll be building several new portable huts for the fields.
Jim and Daniel spent much of Sunday rebuilding "The Goat Shed" so that it would be wind and cold resistent for the group of 4 Red Wattle hogs that current reside in it. This is an old building that has been threatening to fall down since we bought the place. Actually it looks more wobbly then it really is as someone braced the whole structure years ago.. the frame is reasonably stable, but the walls have been nibbled on and the horses are always trying to dismantle it so they can reach the straw used for the pigs' bedding. So one wall was pretty much gone. You can see where we've used some salvaged plywood on the walls to keep the wind (and the horses!!) out.
While the boys worked on the shed, Anne and I made sure that everyone (the animals that is) had enough straw in their beds so they could snuggle in and be warm. We have animals all over the farm so there are many different housing arrangments that all needed attention. One of our breeding groups of Red Wattles lives over in the west field that has "The Goat Shed" in it. The other breeding group lives on the east side of the driveway and they have a group of individual huts for their housing. While the huts are sized for one adult sow (and her litter) I have often seen more then one big pig inside of them especially in cold weather. One day last year I went out to feed and couldn't find any of the hogs that was supposed to be in that particular pasture. There were 2 sows with 6 piglets (6 week old piglets I might add). Also in that group was a 150 lb feeder pig. They were no where to be seen. I called them and poured food into their pans. Still no pigs.. Hmmm.. I figured they were in the houses and would come out when they were ready. Yep, that is exactly what happened. What I did not expect to see was all 9 pigs coming out of ONE HUT!!! I wish I had had a camera with me that day. It was like those times when teenagers try to see how many kids they can fit into a VW bug. You think that they can't possibily fit in another and yet they do. That house must have been packed 3 deep in pigs, but somehow they all fit. It was pretty funny.
Anyway, in this cold weather I have noticed that 2 of the sows are sharing a house, while the other sow and the boar each choose to stay alone in their huts. We have put tons of straw in the houses so they stay warm enough even though it it cold out. 
The last group of Red Wattles is a group of feeder pigs and replacement gilts. They live in the field that has access to our big old barn. They normally sleep in a straw bedded area that in past years has been where the cows are fed. Since our cows live elsewhere during the winter, its been taken over by the hogs. Because it is so cold out right now (it was 14 degrees when I woke up today), we have also opened up the upper level of the barn for the pigs to go inside if they want to. They run up a ramp and into one stall. That stall has a little door that leads into a bigger stall. It is in that bigger stall that we make a bed for them. We've noticed that most of the feeder pigs still sleep outside, but 3 of the smaller ones do go inside to sleep. I guess it all works out for them. 
Even though it is below freezing everyone still gets up from their beds and goes out for some grazing on the short winter grass.
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