Why not over winter cows inside?

[1wlimo]

I have when spring arrives in Central Alberta been here feeding cows for three winters. All the locals store their hay outside, and cows have at best like here trees to shelter from the wost of the weather. Now we feed for -20 and then when it gets colder or windy increase from their. Now when it gets windy and hits -40 a cow can put away a lot of hay in a day, and still lose condition. Yet when I ask why nobody has a hay shed, and only dairy guys keep cows inside they look at me like I am stupid. I may be, but a cow in a wamer enviroment would eat a whole lot less expensive feed.

I have tried to find data to figure this out.

I know that mostly cows and calves too can be Ok outside, I was jus trying to get a handle on the extra feed costs, lower gain etc versus housing costs

 

[Aaron]

You sound like your originally from Southern Ontario. They are the only ones that routinely suggest people should winter cows in barns.

Wintering in a barn promotes more issues with cattle, especially if ventilation is poor (ie enclosed barn).

All cattle need is a little bit of bush, or some windbreak panels and good quality hay during the really cold times. If they can't make it and thrive in that situation, they are poor-doing cattle.

A hay shed is a reasonable investment. They usually pay for themselves within a few years. I would personally never do it because I would fear having someone light up a bale in retaliation and loose the whole stack. :cowboy:

 

[John SD]

Aaron covered it pretty well. Dairy cattle and beef cattle are totally different animals. Literally. A dairy cow needs to be treated with a little TLC. Lactating dairy cows have huge udders which are delicate and could be damaged by extreme cold. A dairy cow does not have the hair coat or fat under her hide to insulate her from the cold like a beef cow. She needs a lot more and higher quality groceries than a beef cow just to maintain herself and produce. A beef range cow is born and bred to survive and thrive under much harsher weather conditions. (Or at least she should be)

 

[1wlimo]

Thanks for the comments

The cows do OK in the bush. Much better this winter on hay and green feed than on silage and gain. The cows feel full and spend the day lying down, instead of walking all over looking for more (energy levels etc were the same).

Ventilation is very improtant when stock move inside.

The beef cow starts to require energy to keep warm at -8. So as it is generally a lot colder than that for at least three months, I was wondering if the saved feed, and increased longevity of the cows (older cows being less able to cope with any stress) would leave a margin.

I came from the UK, and I used to outwinter stock, but then I could graze all winter most years. By catch cropping, or grazing watse crop in the field could be cheaper than summer grazing.

Personally I far perfere working outside in the dry cold and snow than in a wet gray winter.

 

[plumber_greg]

You sound like your originally from Southern Ontario. They are the only ones that routinely suggest people should winter cows in barns.

Wintering in a barn promotes more issues with cattle, especially if ventilation is poor (ie enclosed barn).

All cattle need is a little bit of bush, or some windbreak panels and good quality hay during the really cold times. If they can't make it and thrive in that situation, they are poor-doing cattle.

A hay shed is a reasonable investment. They usually pay for themselves within a few years. I would personally never do it because I would fear having someone light up a bale in retaliation and loose the whole stack. :cowboy:

Aaron, you're pretty young, maybe you better take a look at things. I been in business for 30 years and made some real enemies, but never feared retaliation for my deeds. jmho gs

 

[hillsdown]

I have when spring arrives in Central Alberta been here feeding cows for three winters. All the locals store their hay outside, and cows have at best like here trees to shelter from the wost of the weather. Now we feed for -20 and then when it gets colder or windy increase from their. Now when it gets windy and hits -40 a cow can put away a lot of hay in a day, and still lose condition. Yet when I ask why nobody has a hay shed, and only dairy guys keep cows inside they look at me like I am stupid. I may be, but a cow in a wamer enviroment would eat a whole lot less expensive feed.

I have tried to find data to figure this out.

I know that mostly cows and calves too can be Ok outside, I was jus trying to get a handle on the extra feed costs, lower gain etc versus housing costs

Price out building a loafing barn like dairies have here in Alberta and how much profit you make on beef cows/calves and then get back to me with why your idea is not feasible .

Btw :welcome: to CT

 

[1wlimo]

Thanks HD

It was our wonderful profit margin that was promting me to look for an answer.

I was thinking that if the hay was in the shed with the cows then they could be self fed or at least fed with less machine hours leading to saving around 300 tractors hours a year (including spreading manure), saving at least 20% in winter feed thru lower waste, and an increase in calf growth if you move back to January calving from April.

If my January calves are weaned in September could there not be an extrnded grazing season for my now dry cows. Now when we are weaning in December the reduced grazing in fall has to support increasing need from growing calves, and their lactating moms.

Even if the figures do not stack up this year, what happens as deisel prices rices, and rent for land increase etc. Our biggest cost winter feed looks like it is only getting more expensive.

1wlimo

 

[Aaron]

You sound like your originally from Southern Ontario. They are the only ones that routinely suggest people should winter cows in barns.

Wintering in a barn promotes more issues with cattle, especially if ventilation is poor (ie enclosed barn).

All cattle need is a little bit of bush, or some windbreak panels and good quality hay during the really cold times. If they can't make it and thrive in that situation, they are poor-doing cattle.

A hay shed is a reasonable investment. They usually pay for themselves within a few years. I would personally never do it because I would fear having someone light up a bale in retaliation and loose the whole stack. :cowboy:

Aaron, you're pretty young, maybe you better take a look at things. I been in business for 30 years and made some real enemies, but never feared retaliation for my deeds. jmho gs

Well than your doing well for yourself. I don't put that much trust in people I don't know. People doing drugs and sniffing gas out there that just like to light things up, like old abandoned buildings, just for a laugh. Happens around here every once and a while. The last thing they burnt was an old abandoned school (in the middle of the bush) that was going to be renovated because it was a heritage building.

 

[AllForage]

Here is a bit of a compromise idea. I have a coverall hoop building with no end walls or side walls. I stack my round bales on the north to block the worst wind. Cows eat on a bedded pack of woodchips, sawdust, straw, or junk hay. It will heat a bit and is a lot warmer than outside ground or in brush. In spring bedding makes good compost for fields or could be sold to gardeners. Same thing could be done with post frame structure. If you small bale, hay could be stacked on north and hand fed to cattle without ever starting tractor. I know this would not work for large herds. Buildings really never pencil out, but dual purpose hay/cattle can. Cows will eat a little less and it is hard to calculate hay savings, but the compost has value as well as their comfort. It is still by no means babying them.

I still wouldn't calve in January, even here in Wisconsin.

 

[1wlimo]

Thanks for that AllForage

I did calf ten heifers and the milk cow inside an old hog barn in January. They were in till the start of April. The calves look really good, much better than the odd one that was born outside at the same time. It I put into a yard with an open fronted shed, and all cows were getting the same feed. The yearlings that had open fronted sheds also looked better when they went away than the older feeders that were in the feedlot.

My skid steer lives in the hog barn and it does not need to be pluged in and it always starts and runns way better than the tractor from the cold shop.