With cold and windy conditions outside, it is very important to makes sure your cattle have the right nutrition and shelter. This can look a lot different depending on where you live and what the conditions are like. However, the LiveWiRED calves are in Lathrop, Missouri. In Lathrop, they can have severe cold temperatures, dangerous wind chills and snow, which can be extremely hard on cattle if they are not treated right.
When it gets cold cattle naturally increase their body heat production, by increasing there heart rate, respiration and blood flow. They also eat more to get more energy. Cattle prepare for cold temperatures months before, by growing longer hair and changing their metabolism. This is what the cattle do during the cold months and before, but it is also very important that we provide a place that is dry and out of the wind and the right feed.
When the temperature is 17 degrees Fahrenheit outside, a cow that has a dry winter hair coat need about 15% more energy. While a cow with a completely wet or matted down with mud hair coat needs 40% more energy than in moderate conditions. This makes a big difference, in the amount of feed needed. So it is important to have a place that is dry and out of the wind. This could be a shed or a windbreak that protects the cows from the wind. It is also important to have bedding. It helps keep the cattle clean and gives insulation from the snow and frozen ground.
During cold and windy conditions it is very important to feed the right nutrition to your animals. This includes providing all the hay they will clean up, silage, grain, protein supplements, and mineral mixes. If calving in the winter or spring it is crucial to give adequate protein 60 days before giving birth. This is for the development of the unborn calf and colostrum formation. Winter conditions can be very hard on cattle, but with the right nutrition and shelter, it can make it a lot easier.
When it gets cold cattle naturally increase their body heat production, by increasing there heart rate, respiration and blood flow. They also eat more to get more energy. Cattle prepare for cold temperatures months before, by growing longer hair and changing their metabolism. This is what the cattle do during the cold months and before, but it is also very important that we provide a place that is dry and out of the wind and the right feed.
When the temperature is 17 degrees Fahrenheit outside, a cow that has a dry winter hair coat need about 15% more energy. While a cow with a completely wet or matted down with mud hair coat needs 40% more energy than in moderate conditions. This makes a big difference, in the amount of feed needed. So it is important to have a place that is dry and out of the wind. This could be a shed or a windbreak that protects the cows from the wind. It is also important to have bedding. It helps keep the cattle clean and gives insulation from the snow and frozen ground.
During cold and windy conditions it is very important to feed the right nutrition to your animals. This includes providing all the hay they will clean up, silage, grain, protein supplements, and mineral mixes. If calving in the winter or spring it is crucial to give adequate protein 60 days before giving birth. This is for the development of the unborn calf and colostrum formation. Winter conditions can be very hard on cattle, but with the right nutrition and shelter, it can make it a lot easier.
