How cold do temperatures have to be before it can cause problems with cattle? Is there a huge range of cold tolerance between grown cows and calves? I live in KY and don't usually have extremely cold winters, but one never knows. Now that I have a few cows, it will probably get -50 and stay there all winter.
How much cold can cattle tolerate?
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M.Magis
Well-known member
I don't know the temperature they start having troubles, but I'm certain you won't have to worry about it in KY.
These will get you started
http://cattletoday.com/archive/2003/Nov ... T302.shtml
http://www.thebeefsite.com/articles/305 ... -on-cattle
http://cattletoday.com/archive/2003/Nov ... T302.shtml
http://www.thebeefsite.com/articles/305 ... -on-cattle
snake67
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Well, if you can keep them out of the wind as much as possible, keep their bellies full and give them a good solid bush to get into when it snows - they can stand up to 50 below and more.
They need to be in decent shape before winter comes - that way they can eat and gain instead of eating to stay warm.
Coldest I ever kept cows was in Fairview Alberta in 1999 - it hit minus 54 degrees F on a no wind day and never got above minus 48 for about 12 days. Those cows would come up and sleep on the manure pile because it was warm.
We free choice them on round bales of first and second cut depending upon the weather conditions - and wet is more important to monitor than the cold.
We do not feed grain but we do feed the red dog from corn fines when we can get it - but I will not buy grain for them - waste of money if the hay is better than 10% in my opinion.
I know - and so do a whole bunch of others - that this is possible because I have seen it and done it.
Millions of cattle stay out in all sorts of weather.
Full belly, out of the wind and out of rain and snow - and you will have no probs.
Mine have never seen a barn or any other shelter other than what Mom Nature provides in the past 15 years or so unless sick or injured.
In your part of the world I would be surprised if you had any probs if you simply followed the above advice.
And when you drive down the road, look at the neighbours - and not the folks that keep Bessy, Bossy and Flower in the lap of luxury at any cost - look at the commercial guys. If their cattle are out then yours can be as well. You will notice that they are for the most part - out all year round.
Just keep the water thawed unless you have older girls and lots of snow - because they can eat snow - yeah it is not as efficient as water, but the old girls will get lazy and not bother to come up for a drink for several days at our place or even as long as a week or more - however the youngsters drink daily - seems that around here, they stay on water until about two to three years of age and then gradually move to eating snow and only drinking every few days.
If your cows cannot do this then they are not worth owning and you need to buy better stock. Not saying yours cannot do this, but it is important to note that not all cows are created equal - cull the SOB's hard and you will be a happy camper in later years. I do not care how much you or the family loves her or how good a mother she is - if she needs extra TLC - that means money and time and effort - not so bad when you are starting out because you are interested and do grow attached to them - but they are a crop - you can grow a good one or a bad one. Up to you.
As you age you have less patience and less cash to spend - make those cows work for you my friend!
Best to you
Bez
They need to be in decent shape before winter comes - that way they can eat and gain instead of eating to stay warm.
Coldest I ever kept cows was in Fairview Alberta in 1999 - it hit minus 54 degrees F on a no wind day and never got above minus 48 for about 12 days. Those cows would come up and sleep on the manure pile because it was warm.
We free choice them on round bales of first and second cut depending upon the weather conditions - and wet is more important to monitor than the cold.
We do not feed grain but we do feed the red dog from corn fines when we can get it - but I will not buy grain for them - waste of money if the hay is better than 10% in my opinion.
I know - and so do a whole bunch of others - that this is possible because I have seen it and done it.
Millions of cattle stay out in all sorts of weather.
Full belly, out of the wind and out of rain and snow - and you will have no probs.
Mine have never seen a barn or any other shelter other than what Mom Nature provides in the past 15 years or so unless sick or injured.
In your part of the world I would be surprised if you had any probs if you simply followed the above advice.
And when you drive down the road, look at the neighbours - and not the folks that keep Bessy, Bossy and Flower in the lap of luxury at any cost - look at the commercial guys. If their cattle are out then yours can be as well. You will notice that they are for the most part - out all year round.
Just keep the water thawed unless you have older girls and lots of snow - because they can eat snow - yeah it is not as efficient as water, but the old girls will get lazy and not bother to come up for a drink for several days at our place or even as long as a week or more - however the youngsters drink daily - seems that around here, they stay on water until about two to three years of age and then gradually move to eating snow and only drinking every few days.
If your cows cannot do this then they are not worth owning and you need to buy better stock. Not saying yours cannot do this, but it is important to note that not all cows are created equal - cull the SOB's hard and you will be a happy camper in later years. I do not care how much you or the family loves her or how good a mother she is - if she needs extra TLC - that means money and time and effort - not so bad when you are starting out because you are interested and do grow attached to them - but they are a crop - you can grow a good one or a bad one. Up to you.
As you age you have less patience and less cash to spend - make those cows work for you my friend!
Best to you
Bez
OP
OP
herofan
Well-known member
Thanks for the responses everybody! I don't suppose I'll have any worries here in KY. I don't believe we've even had 0 in several years, and our last two winters have been really mild. If it gets in the teens here, we consider it coooooooold!
herofan":35404pgp said:
Hero, our place is just south by southwest of Cincinnati on the Ohio. I notice a huge difference in winters there compared to my home which is 250 miles south in Franklin, TN. You are correct though, compared to where Bez is we are pretty balmy.
John SD
Well-known member
I've always heard that to a cow, 32 degrees on a sunny winter day with no wind is like room temperture in a T-shirt to a man. Add cold, wind, and wet and the stress escalates in a hurry.
The official diagnosis of the cattle that died in our recent blizzard is that the cattle died from congestive heart failure, complicated by hypothermia.
The cattle faced a relentless storm, starting out with cold rain that soaked them through, turned into ice, then heavy wet snow, all with a driving wind that didn't ever let up. The cows breathed in all this wet cold snow, and it made their heart work past capacity.
I got just a taste of it when I went out to get some stuff out of the car. I already have breathing and heart problems. I know I wouldn't have lasted long out there myself.
Calves survived when cows perished. The calves had developed a better winter coat than the cows had at this point in the season.
The calves were also still nursing, which helped the calves but drug the cows down further. I heard of one producer who lost virtually all of the cows, but most all of the calves lived.
The official diagnosis of the cattle that died in our recent blizzard is that the cattle died from congestive heart failure, complicated by hypothermia.
The cattle faced a relentless storm, starting out with cold rain that soaked them through, turned into ice, then heavy wet snow, all with a driving wind that didn't ever let up. The cows breathed in all this wet cold snow, and it made their heart work past capacity.
I got just a taste of it when I went out to get some stuff out of the car. I already have breathing and heart problems. I know I wouldn't have lasted long out there myself.
Calves survived when cows perished. The calves had developed a better winter coat than the cows had at this point in the season.
The calves were also still nursing, which helped the calves but drug the cows down further. I heard of one producer who lost virtually all of the cows, but most all of the calves lived.
inyati13
Well-known member
herofan":27xzm1za said:
As fellow Kentuckian, the guys I hang with up here who have done this for a long time tell me that where we are, heat is a bigger problem than cold. I know over the last 3 years, there is no doubt about that. The winters have been mild. But no one seems to worry about the cold. The issue is just keeping them fed. I have even dropped my idea for some kind of winter shelter. They don't need it if there is a wind break. They go into the hollers to get out of weather.
OP
OP
herofan
Well-known member
inyati13":2wx1z2di said:
I've heard heat is worse here than cold as well. I guess it's just difficult to imagine since my body is just the opposite. I equate summer with peace, harmony, and easy going, while winter is noticeably rougher. I can't help but think the cattle need a barn when it's 30F and snow in the air, but they are probably loving it.
glacierridge
Well-known member
It can get pretty cold here.
I know we have a barn but typically it's a little like a refrigerator, about 40 something degrees. Too warm and pneumonia is a worry.
It's proven too that bacteria grow less under I think 41°.
But with year round babies this 40° barn is nice. They are just warm enough to use the calories they intake to pack on pounds instead of working to stay warm.
I love how the late fall and winter calves grow the best vs. any other time of year.
I know we have a barn but typically it's a little like a refrigerator, about 40 something degrees. Too warm and pneumonia is a worry.
It's proven too that bacteria grow less under I think 41°.
But with year round babies this 40° barn is nice. They are just warm enough to use the calories they intake to pack on pounds instead of working to stay warm.
I love how the late fall and winter calves grow the best vs. any other time of year.
I will always have better average daily gains in the winter than I will in the summer. I have always inferred that to mean that winter is easier on them here, than summer is. On a snowy cold day, people always comment to me that they feel sorry for cattle being out in the cold. I don't think anyone has ever commented to me on a 98 degree day that they felt sorry for my cattle. I am sure the heat is harder to to tolerate than the cold is.
Out of the wind and preferably dry and they can withstand a lot of cold temps. It's when they're wet that the problems start. I like the cows to carry enough back fat in the winter that they look like Pinzgaurs wehn it snows because it just lays on their backs and doesn;t melt.
OP
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herofan
Well-known member
dun":yasntrky said:
On one hand, I feel rather comfortable that we don't have harsh winters with bitterly cold temps, but we do have wind and rain from time to time. So, what temperature starts to be an issue if it's combined with wind, rain, or both?
highgrit
Well-known member
Herofan, if you have access to the woods or creek bottoms put your cows there and don't worry about them. They will handle the wet and cold fine, they just need to get out of the wind.
boondocks
Well-known member
This thread caught my eye as I'm worrying about our Angus calves we are fenceline weaning. (We're in the second week--still not sure how much longer we'll keep them apart). The weather forecast tonight said we're going down to 17 degrees Tues night. Normally I don't fuss over the cold much but these are April-May calves and we don't have a lot of shelter for them in the field they're in. There are some trees at the perimeter, but the fence keeps them out of the trees. Any votes for taking them into the barn a few days, or is that just asking for pneumonia? We're giving them plenty of hay and they're eating well, not too stressed, not bellering....
Related question: looks like we're acquiring a few more calves in the next week or two. They're weaned but will be given shots maybe 2 wks after they get here. Any danger they will try to nurse the mamas who are still drying up? I doubt the mamas would let them...We likely won't really quarantine them, as they're from a good farm where we've gotten the others.
Thanks!
Related question: looks like we're acquiring a few more calves in the next week or two. They're weaned but will be given shots maybe 2 wks after they get here. Any danger they will try to nurse the mamas who are still drying up? I doubt the mamas would let them...We likely won't really quarantine them, as they're from a good farm where we've gotten the others.
Thanks!
oxhill
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I like to give my cattle free choice shelter. I figure they will know better than me. If it is dry and calm they will sleep outside regardless of how cold it is. Even with several inches of snow on their back. When it is wet and windy they will run for the barn.
Nesikep
Well-known member
Boondocks, they should be fine... Im fenceline weaning my march/april heifers right now (started today), and they're just dandy at 14F... we get down to about -10F (-22Cish) most winters and unless it's windy, the cows don't need any shelter, though i do give them about 10-20% more hay when the weather drops below 0F -18C. If it's particularly nasty weather out with wind, I'll let them go into a gulley, but for the most part, they're on the field (that's where I want them to manure, not the gulley), and they're fine with it...
As for summertime, we get 100+F (40C) in the shade every summer, and it's very rare they have shade.. it goes without saying that it's critical they have good water and salt available though.
I think the biggest enemy to cattle is wetness, especially with wind.
Bez, We knew a guy who had a dairy farm in Westlock AB, and the teat disinfectant would freeze on the teats (I think if it's that cold, bacteria isn't going to be a problem) and these were dairy cows. I think it's a lot of what the cows have been raised in, and perhaps not transporting a southern belle up north for wintering.
There are dairy farmers from the coastal area buying big ranches up here where they raise the heifers and they're having good success with it... they become more hardy, eat better food, etc compared to coddled animals at the coast
As for summertime, we get 100+F (40C) in the shade every summer, and it's very rare they have shade.. it goes without saying that it's critical they have good water and salt available though.
I think the biggest enemy to cattle is wetness, especially with wind.
Bez, We knew a guy who had a dairy farm in Westlock AB, and the teat disinfectant would freeze on the teats (I think if it's that cold, bacteria isn't going to be a problem) and these were dairy cows. I think it's a lot of what the cows have been raised in, and perhaps not transporting a southern belle up north for wintering.
There are dairy farmers from the coastal area buying big ranches up here where they raise the heifers and they're having good success with it... they become more hardy, eat better food, etc compared to coddled animals at the coast
Kathie in Thorp
Well-known member
It is unusual for us to get as cold as it gets in the Dakotas and up into Montana and Canada, but once in awhile we get a spell of -10 to -20, and 20 mph winds are not uncommon to go along with a foot of new snow. We keep plenty of feed out and heaters in the stock tanks. The cattle can choose if they want to spend time in the barn or out in the several willow thickets on the place. So far, so good.
