Sometimes it must suck to be a cow

[Lazy M]

 

[M-5]

That's cow abuse , you should ship her to me where it's always sunny and she will never have to be subjected to that white stuff again. I'll send you a pic of her every spring in knee deep grass.

 

[ez14]

That's cow abuse , you should ship her to me where it's always sunny and she will never have to be subjected to that white stuff again. I'll send you a pic of her every spring in knee deep grass.

sounds good can i come be a bull on your farm always warm and you can just bring me food and water so i never have to get up :banana:

 

[branguscowgirl]

She sure doesn't look too happy, but I am sure that breakfast was on it's way! :mrgreen:

 

[A.J.]

Yep. That picture makes me feel cold lookin at it. I'd say she's about like me and ready for Spring. Critters around here look pretty miserable with the cold, snow, and mud.

 

[Ky hills]

Have had lots of town folks ask me what we do for cattle in that kind of weather. My reply is that I feed them a little extra grain, and have plenty of hay for them, and I put ones close to calving in the barn.

 

[djinwa]

This point is hard for people to appreciate, since we're not cows. But cows have fermentation going on in their rumen that produces a lot of heat - like a steaming compost pile. So assuming she is fed well, the cow pictured is likely more comfortable than she would be on a summer day.
http://www.cattletoday.com/archive/2007 ... 1033.shtml

Here's one article which discusses using cows to heat the house.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/homestea ... dzgoe.aspx

It wasn't long before the inventive engineer realized that, since a single cow gives off 3,500-4,000 BTU an hour, a mere 15 milkers could provide sufficient excess warmth to heat a standard 2,000-square-foot home. Ramlow then devised a prototype Cowpower system . . . but he tested the unit for a year before he was satisfied enough to put it on the market.

 

[Supa Dexta]

That's cow abuse , you should ship her to me where it's always sunny and she will never have to be subjected to that white stuff again. I'll send you a pic of her every spring in knee deep grass.

Seems to be a lot of cows that look like this http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tpqN7Cjy5C4/U ... ciated.jpg in florida - so it can't be that great.

 

[Aaron]

If they have a nice long-haired curly coat on, it doesn't phase them a bit. The shorter, straight-haired cows don't care for it at all and are usually huddled up in the bush or in a shelter.

 

[Brute 23]

Tell me you didn't take that pic from your heated, cab tractor? :lol:

 

[Workinonit Farm]

If its not melting, then they're not losing heat.

 

[SteppedInIt]

I noticed all my cattle disappeared in a hurry. Went out and found them under some shade trees. 80 degrees mid Feb :shock:

 

[boondocks]

I noticed all my cattle disappeared in a hurry. Went out and found them under some shade trees. 80 degrees mid Feb :shock:

Wow, mine are braving wind chill of possibly -60 tonight. It was -18 on the thermometer and already a wind chill of 30 below this afternoon. I don't want to look any more.

A little worried. Poured the groceries to them today, checked water multiple times, and they can go in the barn if they want, but there's no getting totally out of it when it gets this cold. They come from very hardy stock, so I hope this holds them in good stead tonight.

 

[Nesikep]

boondocks.. you can have all that weather.. we're thawing out here.

we rarely get under -10F... that's cold enough for me. Last year we had a miserable storm come through, 35F and blowing rain, turning into slush, then snow overnight, waking up to about 0F... The cows were quite vocal about their disapproval of the weather, they all had icicles jangling as the walked...
I started a thread a while back "the difference a day makes".. .One picture was of Kama sunning herself and eating, the next day it was her with 2" of snow over her, pretty much not wanting to move.

 

[Lazy M]

Here's the difference an hour can make:

I was checking a new calf, went back to the house, and a blizzard comes:

 

[Deepsouth]

That's cow abuse , you should ship her to me where it's always sunny and she will never have to be subjected to that white stuff again. I'll send you a pic of her every spring in knee deep grass.

Seems to be a lot of cows that look like this http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tpqN7Cjy5C4/U ... ciated.jpg in florida - so it can't be that great.

You don't know much about Florida cattle or the cattle industry in Florida.

 

[Supa Dexta]

I've been to florida, but thanks. I'm not saying there aren't some good animals, but there are plenty of thin critters roaming around.

You don't see them up here... Because, well - they'd die. ha

 

[boondocks]

boondocks.. you can have all that weather.. we're thawing out here.

we rarely get under -10F... that's cold enough for me. Last year we had a miserable storm come through, 35F and blowing rain, turning into slush, then snow overnight, waking up to about 0F... The cows were quite vocal about their disapproval of the weather, they all had icicles jangling as the walked...
I started a thread a while back "the difference a day makes".. .One picture was of Kama sunning herself and eating, the next day it was her with 2" of snow over her, pretty much not wanting to move.

I remember that thread, it was amazing to see the change. In a prior life I lived in Chicago, and the temp would often go UP at night. never did get used to it, among other things...
glad you are thawing out.

 

[Kell-inKY]

I've seen pictures of calves with frost bit ears and tails sometimes. Is it due to them being born in sub-freezing temps and not drying off quick enough or just because they are so young with no fat yet?

It got pretty cold here recently and one of the cows has about a month old calf, that is the only time I worry because a lot of times they are just out there laying down in the open with 10 degree temps and windy all night? I do have shelter, but these are new to me cows who aren't used to barns apparently. Anyway, I usually worry for nothing, but that wind is a killer down around 0.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Either born in it, not bedded well enough, or just plain too cold for them not to freeze. They're pretty hardy when they are dry, but can even lose ear tips as adult cows if it gets cold enough. I bed good on the cold snaps and young calves are good at finding a spot out of the wind, behind its mother even - hunkered down in the straw.

I had a cow last year with some odd circulation problem going on though. She lost her tail, ear tips, nose, and 2.5 teats. Just the outside of the teats and nose, and they eventually healed up after they turned black and fell off (the nose came off like a flap). Was an odd thing to witness. But she's still in the herd and seems healthy again. She was a hurting unit for a while though, trying to drink and eat with that nose, and nurse a new calf on 1.5 good teats.