boondocks
Well-known member
Nesikep":1zcdx1rt said: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
Thanks Nesikep! How far west are you in BC? Have spent many weeks backpacking in AB and BC. Beautiful area.