Weather Related

[inyati13]

Got a frozen line at the house but the heated Richie Automatic watering system is fine. So cows got preheated water in the two SS basins that have heating elements underneath to keep the water at about 45 degrees F.

I noticed that during this extreme cold, the wasted hay around the hay rolls is not really wasted. They all bed down around the rolls. I think the cows feet are cold. They walk like they are tender. I see them especially the calves, pick their feet up and shake them in the air, I guess because they hurt.

Other than that, they are doing much better than I thought with what is extreme cold and wind chill for this Latitude.

 

[dun]

Got a frozen line at the house but the heated Richie Automatic watering system is fine. So cows got preheated water in the two SS basins that have heating elements underneath to keep the water at about 45 degrees F.

I noticed that during this extreme cold, the wasted hay around the hay rolls is not really wasted. They all bed down around the rolls. I think the cows feet are cold. They walk like they are tender. I see them especially the calves, pick their feet up and shake them in the air, I guess because they hurt.

Other than that, they are doing much better than I thought with what is extreme cold and wind chill for this Latitude.

Relating to the cows feet, if the hay is fescue there is a chance that the combination of endophyte and the extreme cold is causing circulation problems with their extremities. Just something to keep an eye out for.

 

[inyati13]

Got a frozen line at the house but the heated Richie Automatic watering system is fine. So cows got preheated water in the two SS basins that have heating elements underneath to keep the water at about 45 degrees F.

I noticed that during this extreme cold, the wasted hay around the hay rolls is not really wasted. They all bed down around the rolls. I think the cows feet are cold. They walk like they are tender. I see them especially the calves, pick their feet up and shake them in the air, I guess because they hurt.

Other than that, they are doing much better than I thought with what is extreme cold and wind chill for this Latitude.

Relating to the cows feet, if the hay is fescue there is a chance that the combination of endophyte and the extreme cold is causing circulation problems with their extremities. Just something to keep an eye out for.

dun, it is fescue!!! I thought about that too. I have high mag out for them also.

 

[dun]

High mag won;t have any effect with the fescue. Possibly CTC "might" Huge doses of aspirin may elso have some affect by thinning the blood. If you have access to another type of hay you might try that for a week or so and see if the affects are lessoned. But if your weather is as screwy as ours by the time it may show some affect the weather will have armed up that just that may decrease a possible problem. May be something to think about for the next severe cold spell (I'm pretty sure there will be one this winter) and see if you can detect any difference .

 

[Bigfoot]

Could be tender from walking on the frozen rock. Seems like you had some nice feeding areas in the pictures you post.

 

[inyati13]

dun/Bigfoot good points. I do have square bales of grass/alfalfa. But it is suppose to warm up to 50 by Sunday and the lows are about 30. I agree, we will have another cold spell, hopefully, not this cold. Bigfoot, the mine waste run is beginning to get some cover from hay and manure but I have seen all fall that it hurts their feet.

 

[highgrit]

Maybe the rock is the problem then. Ron, I showed my wife pictures of your feeding areas, and said this is what we need. But you have me wondering now. In my pens the mud is frozen and I was worried about cutting a tire on the RVT because it's so hard and sharp.

 

[J&D Cattle]

Maybe the rock is the problem then. Ron, I showed my wife pictures of your feeding areas, and said this is what we need. But you have me wondering now. In my pens the mud is frozen and I was worried about cutting a tire on the RVT because it's so hard and sharp.

If your RVT won't run you won't have to worry about tires. :cowboy:

Hope it turns out to be just a battery as Dun suggested; had to poke a little fun.

 

[inyati13]

Maybe the rock is the problem then. Ron, I showed my wife pictures of your feeding areas, and said this is what we need. But you have me wondering now. In my pens the mud is frozen and I was worried about cutting a tire on the RVT because it's so hard and sharp.

highgrit don't be discouraged, the surface is filling in. I can see improvement every week. I was thinking I needed to "choke it off" with some finer gravel this summer but not so. It has a firm base, like concrete. As it fills in with debris, it is a better walking surface. I will need to scape it off after the cows go back out on spring pasture. It has been a pleasure working on a non-muddy, solid surface. I think even though it may hurt their feet they like the surface as a good place to lounge. I will try to get some pics.

 

[fitz]

I blame it on the rock hard frozen ground here. It's all rutted up and hard as rock from the zero temps. It's real hard for them to navigate it. They are also afraid of falling.
My Bull has already twisted/sprained his hock in this mess trying to breed. I don't feel like it is hay related.

fitz

 

[highgrit]

Ron are you talking about scraping the hay and manure off the rock?? That would make some fine compost for a garden. I picked up a bed full of frozen manure in no time today for the garden. Once I jumped the Kubota off, the hyd. dump bed is really nice.

 

[inyati13]

I blame it on the rock hard frozen ground here. It's all rutted up and hard as rock from the zero temps. It's real hard for them to navigate it. They are also afraid of falling.
My Bull has already twisted/sprained his hock in this mess trying to breed. I don't feel like it is hay related.

fitz

One of the observations from watching my cows during the last 4 years is this: The bovine foot could have been engineered a little better. A camel has a big surface area and the bottom can fold to fit almost any irregular surface including gravel and cobbles. Cows are not well adapted to hard irregular surfaces. I hold my breath when they get excited and start showing their oats running down steep hills, mud flying in the air. I expect one to fall and go down with broken limbs.

 

[inyati13]

Ron are you talking about scraping the hay and manure off the rock?? That would make some fine compost for a garden. I picked up a bed full of frozen manure in no time today for the garden. Once I jumped the Kubota off, the hyd. dump bed is really nice.

Yep. I will back drag it with the cutting edge of the loader bucket. BTW, I was thinking today, that it must have been hard getting those buffalo chips to catch fire on the western prairies. I was picking some up today. They are as solid as concrete. I was trying to get some up that were in the shop parking lot. I could hit some with a 10 pound sledge and it just bounced off.

 

[branguscowgirl]

Ron, my cows and calves will lift and shake their feet like that if they get mud or pebbles between their toes. As soon as it breaks free, they stop.

 

[skeeter swatter]

Could be tender from walking on the frozen rock. Seems like you had some nice feeding areas in the pictures you post.

Yes, everyone knows frozen rock is much harder than regular rock ;-) :mrgreen:

 

[Bigfoot]

Could be tender from walking on the frozen rock. Seems like you had some nice feeding areas in the pictures you post.

Yes, everyone knows frozen rock is much harder than regular rock ;-) :mrgreen:

We mock that which we do not understand. :lol2: