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| Duane A. Lienemann UNL Extension Educator |
While humans are able to cope with this winter’s pattern of relatively warm temperatures followed by extremely cold temperatures over the last couple of weeks, cattle are not so lucky. As we deal with that anomaly and face this current extreme cold, it is important to keep a few cattle management tips in mind. Mammals are inherently equipped to deal with extreme temperatures. Within a range of certain temperatures, their body does not need to use any energy to stay warm or cool. However, when temperatures get below a critical temperature, animals must begin to use extra energy to stay warm.
The critical temperature for cattle depends on their hair coat. From fall to midwinter, the hair coat continues to grow and the critical temperature for cattle decreases. With a heavy winter coat, the critical temperature for cattle is around 18 F. Below that temperature, the energy demands for a cow to maintain her body temperature increase. With temperatures this winter easily reaching below minus 30 with wind chill at some point, livestock producers need to make some adjustments to their management schemes to protect their cattle. Let’s look at some things we can do to mitigate these needs.
The cattle are going to have higher energy needs. To deal with these increased energy demands, we can simply increase the amount of feed delivered to the herd. However, if cows are being maintained on relatively poor-quality feeds or temperatures get too extreme, altering the amount of feed will not meet the increased requirements for the cattle. Feeds of higher nutrient quality (more energy dense) must be included to achieve the needed level of nutrition during cold spells. Another strategy for dealing with the cold weather is to feed cattle at night. The heat from digestion peaks a few hours after a meal, so offering meals in the evening can help cattle cope with the cold nighttime temperatures.
Keeping cattle protected from the elements also is important. Cattle usually can deal with cold alone, but the combination of cold, wind and moisture can be deadly. It is of course best to take steps to ensure cattle are out of the wind. The best bet is to use existing windbreaks of trees or buildings. If no natural windbreaks exist, producers will need to take steps to make permanent or portable windbreaks to protect cattle from the wind. Portable panels with tarps zip tied to them are good options for producers maintaining cattle in relatively open country. I have seen some people set up livestock trailers or line up big round bales in a cigar shape – surrounded by panels to keep them from eating their own windbreak.
Once the wind is blocked, producers need to take active steps to combat moisture. If we have a choice, snow is preferred to a cold rain. We lose what is called "air insulation" in cattle that get wet versus those that are out in the snow. The air pockets between hair fibers are a source of insulation. We lose this insulation when hair gets matted down in a cold rain. The result is that the dry winter coat goes from having a critical temperature of 32 degrees F to about 59-60 degrees F. This means that a wet animal having to face a night of minus 30 wind chill temperatures is experiencing a cold that is almost 90 degrees below its critical temperature. In cases like this, the combination of cold and moisture easily could end up being deadly. Bedding may not always be necessary for wintering cow herds, but in cases where cattle are wet, bedding is a must. The primary purpose of bedding is to help keep cattle dry. Dry cattle do much better in fending off the cold.
Cold, and especially cold with moisture, also can be a problem for animals at birth. Newborn calves are born wet and are very susceptible to frostbite, hypothermia and death as a result of cold temperatures. In mild cases of cold exposure, calves can lose the tips of their ears or maybe have hoof problems later in life. In severe cases, calves die. It won’t be long and several producers in the region will be starting their calving seasons. It’s important to be ready to warm calves up when they become chilled, USDA estimates 95,000 calves die each year due to cold stress and hypothermia. We don’t want that!
It is obvious that calving can be a stressful time for many cow-calf producers. However, being prepared, and learning more about how to identify and respond to cold stress and hypothermia will allow for it to be better managed, reducing its impact on the calving season. In a year when cattle prices are at record highs, saving every calf possible is at the top of
The producer’s checklist. Understanding the risks of hypothermia in newborn calves and working to identify its severity quickly allows for proper treatment and will increase calf survival. When calves are 24 hours old or less and air temperatures drop below 56.2 degrees, additional energy is needed to maintain their body temperature and health. Several factors impact a newborn calf’s ability to combat hypothermia and cold stress, including maternal diet prior to calving, calving difficulty, hair coat, bedding, colostrum intake, speed of detection, wind speed and shelter – including hot boxes.
Our livestock are not the only concern this time of year. We also need for producers to take care of themselves, their families and their employees during extreme weather conditions. This type of weather is very dangerous and, at a minimum, can cause permanent damage to exposed skin. We all want to make sure our cattle are fed and properly bedded as soon as a storm breaks or the temperatures plummet. Just take a few moments to make sure you are also prepared for the cold!
The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: http://www.webster.unl.edu/home
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