After days of snow and sub-zero temps, we finally got a little warm-up here at Paragon Ridge Ranch—about 30° with no wind—and it felt like a whole different world. The snow started melting, the animals were out enjoying the sunshine, and I took advantage of it to catch up on the not-so-glamorous but necessary winter recovery chores. We checked water, visited the Highland cattle and sheep, and just soaked up a “nice day” because around here the forecast changes every time you look at it. Inside my shop, it was time to clean out the Ultimate Brooders. Parker helped me move our rare grow-out chickens from one pen to the other so I could scrape everything out and reset them on fresh bedding. I showed how we keep things consistent (same setup each time), why I use “chicken shoes” so they don’t touch dirty ground, and how we shovel and haul the mess out. I also talked through my ongoing debate with wood pellets: they’re not dusty like wood chips (and wood chips mixed with chick dander is just gross), but pellets are pricey and don’t last as long as I’d like. No rush, no drama—just real chores, real animals, and getting the ranch back on track after a deep freeze.