Keeping animals inside for the winter can be a challenging job- if you don't do it right, that is.
For instance, if your barn is run down, dirty, and the cold seeps through every crack and cranny, I can guarantee you that your animals will look shaggy and bedraggled- especially if you don't muck out their stalls and freshly bed them once a week.
On the contrary, if you have a good, warm barn and keep the animals' stalls in clean condition, your beasts will look a lot healthier than the ones in a dirty environment. Plus, they will be much happier and content to stay indoors during the winter months, and you will benefit from them much more so in these conditions than that of those in dirty conditions.
Let me remind you that feeding is as important as clean pens; so feed your animals more than you usually would. Eating gives them energy, which keeps them warm and helps prevent weight loss- something that is seen regularly among animals in not-so-good conditions. It also gives the animals something to do- and in horses, if you're lucky, prevent stall chewing.
It may be a good idea to let some of your livestock out for a while, as in letting your sheep, cattle, horses and other animal spend the afternoon in a fenced off field.
Chickens aren't particular about snow, however you could leave the coop door open for the day you might find one or two scratching around the barnyard.
Of course, winter is a long month, and every animal in the barn, as is the farmer, are eagerly anticipating the arrival of spring.
