AccuWeather meteorologists are predicting a high-impact winter storm will spread snow and ice across more than two dozen states from Texas through the Carolinas and Massachusetts from Friday through the weekend. Other areas of the country are also dealing with Mother Nature and cold temperatures.
To prepare for the storm, here are four strategies to help producers and their cattle get through an arctic blast.
1. Provide Ample, Clean Water
Access to fresh, clean, unfrozen water is crucial. Water is essential to feed digestion, and limiting water decreases passage rate of feeds, which will in turn compromise feed intake, making it very hard for cows to maintain weight. Ranchers should consider various options to contend with frigid temperatures and freezing water issues.
Check to make sure water heaters are in working order before bad weather hits, and be prepared to break ice or haul water if needed.
One factor that affects water needs is the stage of production. The need for water increases with the demands of production. For example, lactating cows require more water than dry pregnant cows. Dehydration is an added stress on cattle.
The good news is there are plenty of tried-and-true options for both temporary and permanent livestock watering systems that work in harsh winter conditions.
Read More:
How to Keep Livestock Waters Open All Winter Long
2. Offer Shelter and Bedding
Providing a windbreak can lower an animal’s cold stress. According to Oklahoma State’s Paul Beck, cows need to get adjusted to cold temperatures over time and grow a thick winter hair coat to be acclimated before winter storms arrive, or they will suffer from cold stress and require extra care.
“Body condition of cows and their hair coat can play a large part in their tolerance to colder conditions,” he says.
University of Nebraska’s Jessica Sperber says windbreaks, such as trees, walls, human-made structures or strategically placed hay bales, reduce wind exposure and prevent snow from drifting into the pen.
“Windbreaks must be tall enough to block the wind, aim for 7' to 8' in height while still allowing for some air flow between breaks,” she explains in an UNL Beef Watch article. “Common products used for construction of windbreaks include windboards and guardrail with 2"-to-2.5" openings between the rails. Guardrails require little to no maintenance, making them an excellent option for windbreak structures.”
Sperber says bedding is a source of insulation for cattle when temperatures drop.
“Bedding made from straw, corn stalks or other materials keep cattle off the cold ground, reduce heat loss and provide comfort,” she says. “In a study from North Dakota State University, offering modest bedding during feedlot winter weather events (defined as “straw available for steers to lay on”) increased daily gain by 0.86 lb. per day and improved feed efficiency by 31% with no change in feed intake.”
Don’t forget your bulls. Providing bedding for bulls is important for protecting testicles from frostbite, which can impair the testes’ ability to thermoregulate and affect semen quality.
3. Adapt Feed and Nutrition
As temperatures drop, cattle’s energy requirements increase as they attempt to maintain body temperature. OSU recommends cattle have access to as much hay as they want to eat. Ruminal fermentation helps keep the animals warm.
Sperber says cattle typically require around 1% to 2% more feed for every degree Fahrenheit the temperature falls below their comfort zone, which is around 15°F (-10°C) for cattle with a dry coat during the winter months.
Beck adds cows in good body condition, those with body condition scores of 5 to 6, with good thick winter hair coats have a lower critical temperature around 32°F. Thin cows with thin hair coat are at more risk to cold stress with lower critical temperatures of around 40°F, while cows with wet hair coat have lower critical temperature of 59°F.
“With wind chills down to expected to get below zero, maintenance energy requirements will increase by up to 30% to 40%,” Beck explains.
How Much More Feed?
Beck explains a 1,200-lb. cow in good body condition needs 2 lb. of supplemental 20% range cubes to meet her requirements in normal conditions, as an example. When temperatures get down to 20°F her requirements increase by 12%; to meet the shortfall in energy, she will require 3 lb. of additional cubes per day for a total of 5 lb. of cubes per day.
“If we consider a thin cow with a thin hair coat, it gets to be more critical,” he stresses.
A thin cow needs to gain body condition to increase her chances of rebreeding for the next calf crop, so a producer should already be feeding around 4 lb. of cubes a day. Her lower critical temperature is 40°F so, when temperatures fall to 20°F her requirements increase by 20%.
“We will need to provide seven additional pounds of supplement for a total of 11 lb. of supplemental feed daily,” he says. “Feeding this much supplement is expensive and hard to manage.”
4. Check Equipment and Supplies in Anticipation
The Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Association developed a winter storm preparation checklist. Some of their suggestions include:
- Fill up diesel with anti-gel to prevent freezing
- Check antifreeze levels
- Park equipment out of wind trajectory to avoid accumulation of ice
- Leave all water sources at a drip; have troughs filled just below float
- Insulate exposed water pipes, wrap or bundle with straw
- Harsh weather can stress cows into calving early, so be prepared with the proper veterinary supplies
- Consider post-storm needs: starter fluid, propane heater, tools to bust water, diesel treatment, fence repair equipment, replacement parts for pipes/valves if busted, stocked hay ready to feed
- Prepare yourself for any amount of time outside with gloves, ear warmers, neck gaiters and bibs
- Plan for loss of power: easy-to-make meals, back-up for water heaters, double check generators
- Check with elderly neighbors and friends to make sure they have a plan, too
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