The extreme drop in temperatures in late December prompted many to retreat indoors to stay warm, but for beef cattle on pasture, sleeping in a warm barn is not always an option, experts from the Institute of Kansas State University Beef Cattle in a recent study. Cattle chat podcast.
A team of veterinarians and a beef cattle nutritionist offered listeners management tips for when temperatures drop well below freezing.
“Although water consumption by cattle is less in winter than in summer, it is still important that cattle have access to water even in a cold snap,” said veterinarian Bob Larson.
Additionally, veterinarians Brian Lubbers and AJ Tarpoff stressed the importance of sheltering cattle from the wind whenever possible.
“Shelters not only keep cattle dry, but they also keep them out of the wind, and in very cold periods that’s important,” Lubbers said.
While some animals have access to stalls or windbreaks, there are times when cattle are out on pasture and those are not options. In that case, Tarpoff encourages growers to be creative in their thinking.
“A rancher I know in western Kansas parks trailers in the pasture to shield the cows from the wind, and then opens a small door in the trailer for the calves to go inside and warm up in the bedding,” Tarpoff said.
In nutritional terms, beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said cattle maintenance requirements will increase by 50 to 100 percent when temperatures plummet and they are in cold and snowy conditions.
“At this time, cattle will need to be supplemented with a feed that is high in energy,” Lancaster said. “Make sure the starch content in a cow’s diet is less than half a percent of her body weight so it doesn’t negatively influence roughage digestion.”
In extreme temperatures, Tarpoff said it’s important to provide bedding for cattle in the barn or on pasture.
“Giving cattle a protective barrier against the frozen ground is really important on those days of extreme weather,” Tarpoff said.
Source: Kansas State University Research and Extension
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