With cold temperatures in the forecast for the rest of this month, it is important that cattle producers keep two important considerations top of mind this time of year. Water, and plenty of it. North Dakota State University Extension’s Karl Hoppe.
“Frozen water really does have a big effect on cattle performance because once the water freezes and they quit drinking, they quit eating at the same time. So adequate water is paramount.”
Hoppe, the area extension specialist for livestock systems, said whether it’s manually chopping ice or using a trough heater of some kind, he noted it’s important to keep the water in its liquid state as much as possible.
Just as important is feed, especially when your livestock is trying to battle rainy or snowy conditions and temperatures below freezing.
“Giving cattle enough feed that ferments, which most of the feed does ferment for cattle, creates a lot of heat. And actually, as one person commented to me many years ago, it’s like having a space heater inside a cow, keeping her warm. The rumen environment really does create a lot of heat for the cow, so they’re kind of unique for having that ability to gather some extra energy out of the feeds they consume to heat their bodies when we have cold weather. This isn’t just adequate feed the date of the event. This is adequate feed months before the event. We’d like to have some body conditions, some fat on the cow, so they can draw on that.”
Hoppe added that additional fat works as an insulation for cows, which will help them face this late January weather. He said if you’re concerned that she doesn’t have enough fat, you can look at high-energy supplements, such as grain or byproducts, to help her stay warm.