Winter Cattle Management Tips

Cattle suffer in cold weather if they don’t receive the proper care. Charlie Stoltenow, North Dakota State University Extension Service veterinarian, says that livestock are at risk of developing hypothermia and frostbite during cold and snowy conditions. This is especially true for young animals less than 48 hours old.

“Hypothermia is a profound drop in body temperature,” explains Stoltenow. “In addition to young animals, diseased and weak livestock are the most susceptible to hypothermia. Newborns are susceptible because they often are hypoglycemic, which means they have low energy reserves and electrolyte imbalances. Animals with pre-existing conditions, such as pneumonia or old age, are susceptible because they have impaired body reserves and may succumb to very cold and windy conditions more easily.”

“Frostbite is the destruction of tissue in a localized area due to extreme cold,” continues Stoltenow. “It is uncommon in healthy, well-fed and sheltered animals, but animals that are less than 48 hours old or have a pre-existing condition run the greatest risk of developing frostbite. The areas most likely to be injured include the ears, tail, teats, scrotum and lower parts of the limbs, especially the hooves. Hind limbs are more likely to be affected in cattle since their normal posture is to draw their front legs under their chest while their hind legs protrude from under their body.”

Cattle will also lose body condition during cold weather if they are not fed properly. Clay Wright of The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation makes the point that keeping warm is the largest part of a cow’s maintenance requirement. She’ll use available nutrients for maintenance before fulfilling any other needs such as lactation or reproduction. Because of this, profits could be negatively impacted by skimping on winter feed.

“Lower critical temperature (LCT) of a cow’s comfort zone is about 32 degrees Fahrenheit if she is in good body condition with a normal dry winter coat,” states Wright. “If her hair coat is wet, LCT is about 59 degrees Fahrenheit.  A good rule of thumb is that for each degree the wind chill temperature is below the LCT, energy needs of a cow with a dry winter coat increase one percent – two percent if her coat is wet. To determine amount of increased energy needs, subtract the wind chill temperature from the appropriate LCT and then multiply either by one or two percent, depending upon the hair coat condition.”

Let’s assume that a 25 degree cold front with five mile per hour winds is forecasted. We look on the NWS Windchill Chart and find that these conditions produce a chill factor of 19 degrees. We subtract the wind chill number from the LCT and multiply by one for dry hair coats results in an answer of 13. If the ration is balanced for the cow’s normal comfort range, she’ll need 13 percent more feed during the cold snap.

If the cold front brings precipitation and animal coats become wet, their energy needs will increase by two percent. The wind chill of 19 degrees is 40 degrees below the LCT of 59 degrees Fahrenheit. Under these conditions, cows need 80 percent more energy than they normally require. It is impractical, impossible and inadvisable to feed that much additional energy. Digestive disorders can occur if energy levels are increased suddenly and drastically. The additional feed will also have a negative impact on profits.

An alternative to this dilemma is to keep animals dry by giving them access to sheds or patches of trees. Wright recommends increasing energy intake before, during and after a cold front to even out excessive deficiencies. He says that managing body condition to have additional stored energy prior to the onset of winter provides a valuable reserve for times of increased energy needs.

(This article is by Robert Fears).

References:

“How Will Cold Fronts Affect Your Cowherd’s Energy Requirements?”: Clay Wright: The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation

“Watch Livestock for Hypothermia, Frostbite”: Charlie Stoltenow: North Dakota State University Agriculture Communication

How do you help your cattle during the winter conditions?