How do farmers keep their livestock and all other animals (chickens, pigs, sheep, etc) from freezing to death in the harsh cold winter months, like in regions up north? Especially if they have dozens upon dozens of animals? I’d imagine if they group them all in an extremely large barn or something, they’d have to keep it extremely insulated?
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At least cows tend to generate enough heat that north of the alps (Austria, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and Scandinavia) the Housebarn/Byre-dwelling was a very common design up until the 20th century.
A Byre-dwelling is a combined house and barn, where the heat from the animals is used to help heating the house. While the master bedroom was typically located away from the barn-part in wealthier households (where the master bedroom could have a personal fireplace and enjoy a room that’s both warm and quiet) the servant quarters (those that weren’t located near the kitchen) were often located over the barn to maximize the use of the waste heat.
Big animals generate a lot of heat and all animals (except domesticated pigs really) tend to have warm fur/feathers (and pigs have plenty of fat to keep them warm). They only need minimum shelter to survive the cold (compared to hairless apes hailing from the equator), although a more insulated barn leads to lower feed costs.
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