Farmers Prepare for Frigid Temps
Published: Friday, February 1, 2019
Record low temperatures were in the forecast for mid-week. The thought of going outdoors during that time makes most cringe, but for farmers that need to take care of their livestock there isn't much of a choice. There are no "snow days" in this profession.
Mark Kepler, Fulton County Extension educator, raises beef cattle and goats. He said the most important thing to consider in winter is water access. Without heated tanks, water will freeze. Farmers must make sure their animals have water available at all times, and electricity is the best way to ensure this, according to Kepler.
Kepler said temperature isn't always the main issue. Wind is the biggest factor. He makes sure his animals have a good, solid wind break to escape the bitter cold. Kepler also provides a big round bale behind the wind break.
"Beef cattle can take low temperatures," he said. "The key is to keep them out of the wind."
The best medicine for livestock in the winter is straw for bedding, according to Kepler. He said having a place to nestle into the straw out of the wind will help his goats and cattle endure the weather.
His goats are also outdoors with a wind break. However, there are also young goats that need additional protection from the elements. Kepler uses metal barrels with heat lamps to offer a warm escape for the goats. He cuts a hole for the entrance and a hole in the top where he places the lamp.
Kepler said he plans to put down extra straw and make sure his windbreaks are ready before the cold hits.
Keith Lambright, owner and operator of Shipshewana Trading Place and Livestock Auction, said it's important to keep livestock dry, hydrated and out of the wind.
His cattle are all inside barns, but he said fresh dry bedding is the key to keeping them warm and healthy. He uses corn stalks and straw for bedding and changes it daily to make sure the cows stay dry. Lambright provides extra bedding during the cold and makes sure there is no draft blowing through the barn.
"If you can keep them dry, they can handle the cold temperatures," he said.
Fresh water is essential, even in the cold weather. Lambright said most people think that livestock do not need as much water in the cold as they do when it's hot outside. However, animals tend to dehydrate more quickly in the winter.
Lambright said if you are trying to reduce the time spent outdoors doing chores, you're doing it wrong. Animals need extra care during cold temperatures and that takes time. Even though animals can endure colder temperatures, they need an escape from the wind, a dry place to bed down and drink fresh water. When caring for his cattle, he considers what he would need in their position.
"Animals need to be treated how we want to be treated," he said.
Dr. Jeff King of King Animal Clinic in Topeka said that nutrition is key in cold weather. King also owns Victory Hill Farm, a standardbred horse business in LaGrange. Although he said horses are hardy animals, when the windchill gets below minus 20, they are housed in the barns.
King said animals need a good wind block, fresh water and good nutrition. Horses should always have hay in front of them in the winter. These animals use fermentation to digest forages. That fermentation generates heat which in turn, raises the body temperature. When outdoor temperatures drop, horses require extra hay to stay warm.
According to King, it is difficult to determine the exact temperature animals can endure. He gave an example of an observation made on wild horses out West. The horses were observed for 30 days with a minus 30-degree windchill. The horses experienced no negative health impacts during the extreme cold. King said animals that are acclimated to the cold are able to bear the weather.
Blankets are a controversial topic when it comes to horses. According to King, horses that have not been blanketed prior to the cold weather in can tolerate the cold. They should still be provided with an escape from the wind, but their thick, heavy coat of hair is able to regulate their body temperature.
King said different animals can tolerate the cold better than others, but the main thing is to provide animals with a wind block, adequate food and, of course, water. Keeping water from freezing can be a challenge, but it is essential to have it available to any animal.
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