Rain, breaking ice on water troughs, cold fingers, and frozen hoses. While we don’t get too many days below freezing, it’s enough to appreciate spring. Good management and proper nutrition in the winter are crucial to ensure animals have enough energy to stay warm and healthy during the cold, wet months of winter. Cold weather increases energy requirements for animals. Here are some tips for keeping animals comfortable and productive during winter months.
- An animal’s energy requirements increase in cold weather, meaning they will eat more feed or need more energy-dense feed. Cattle will eat more hay in cooler temperatures to meet increased energy needs. Hays and stockpiled forages tend to be lower in protein and higher in fiber, which can slow digestion. The best way to help cows get more out of the hay she is eating is by feeding 2-3 lbs. of a 20% Breeder Cube. Think of breeder cubes as protein bars for cattle. The protein in a Breeder Cube will help feed the rumen microbes to aid in the breakdown of fibrous hay. Thinking about the cows that calved in the fall, lactation is the most nutrient-demanding phase of an animal’s life, so it is important to give momma cows the nutrition support they need. Hay is also lower in essential vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin E compared to fresh grass. Because of the lower vitamin levels, it’s important to offer a free choice mineral to meet vitamin and mineral requirements. Wet, cold conditions increase chances for illness, which is another reason having a free choice mineral with added vitamins is beneficial. These vitamins support the immune system.
- Water is an essential nutrient. Water drives feed intake, so if cows aren’t drinking water, they will eat less feed. Calves less than 6 months old will drink 5-13 gallons of water per day. Growing cattle drink 8-20 gallons per day, and lactating cows drink 11-16 gallons per day (Research, 2024). Check water troughs daily and break any ice that may have formed. Keep in mind that clean water encourages cattle to drink more water. Insufficient water intake will reduce feed intake and reduce the cow’s ability to meet nutrient requirements.
- Keep bedding clean and dry to keep animals comfortable and warm! Clean, dry bedding will reduce heat loss, prevent pathogen growth, and keep animals healthy. Deep-pack bedding is the way to go! Biological activity begins taking place 5-7 inches deep, which will give off heat that the cows can enjoy throughout the winter (Carlson, 2023). Adding clean bedding daily will reduce ammonia buildup meaning less chances for respiratory illnesses. If you do not keep bedding clean and, most importantly, dry when the temperatures drop, bedding can freeze, and frozen bedding is very uncomfortable for animals. While we do not have many freezing temperatures here in the south, we do have a lot of rain. Mud can cause huge problems for cattle. Four to eight inches of mud can decrease feed intake by 4-8%, which will slow growth by 14%. Low temperatures plus wet conditions increase the chances of hypothermia in calves. Muddy areas with a lot of manure will have heavy loads of bacteria and is a perfect place for mosquitoes to thrive. These wet conditions increase the chances for calf scours and foot rot (Parish & Rhinehart, n.d.).
References
Carlson, M. (2023, November 9). Consider deep pack barns for cow comfort and manure management – Cornell Small Farms. Cornell Small Farms. https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2012/04/consider-deep-pack-barns-for-cow-comfort-and-manure-management/
Parish, J., & Rhinehart, J. (n.d.). Dealing with Excessively Wet Conditions on Beef Cattle Operations.
https://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/topic-files/beef-publications/beef-publications-landing-page/wetconditions.pdf. Retrieved December 19, 2024, from https://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/topic-files/beef-publications/beef-publications-landing-page/wetconditions.pdf
Research, B. (2024, December 12). Baby, it’s cold outside – Six tips for managing beef cattle in cold weather. Beef Research. https://www.beefresearch.ca/blog/six-tips-for-managing-beef-cattle-in-cold-weather/