winter shelter

[Anonymous]

What kind of winter shelter do cattle need? We've got just 3 cows, all are pregnant and 2 have calfs. Right now they are just in a small 5 acre pasture, and we supplement their diets with hay. They don't have shelter for winter, and I am curious to know if they need any or not. We live an hour south of Salt Lake City, Utah. The winters haven't been too bad, but we do get fairly cold.

I appreciate any responses and suggestions.

Thanks,

rwhite

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[Anonymous]

Wind is your biggest problem. A simple three sided shed will help some, but just the canyons and gulleys work just as well. If they have a few trees to get into and out of the wind they should do alright. In the Mojave desert we didn't provide any real structure, just a wind break.

dun

> What kind of winter shelter do
> cattle need? We've got just 3
> cows, all are pregnant and 2 have
> calfs. Right now they are just in
> a small 5 acre pasture, and we
> supplement their diets with hay.
> They don't have shelter for
> winter, and I am curious to know
> if they need any or not. We live
> an hour south of Salt Lake City,
> Utah. The winters haven't been too
> bad, but we do get fairly cold.

> I appreciate any responses and
> suggestions.

> Thanks,

> rwhite

 

[Anonymous]

Agree. It's the same here. We don't get cold enough to worry about frostbite.

About the only things cedars are good for are posts, kindling, and wind breaks. A driving rain in 34 degrees is much harder on cattle than snow in 14 degrees. If they don't have anything to get under it sure helps to have something to get behind.

Craig-TX

 

[Anonymous]

To add a little clarity: if you have any cedars or other dense brushy scrub trees, don't clear them all out. It's great to rid your pastures of them, but as Dun indicated, leave some brakes for wind breaks – especially in the draws and creek bottoms.

Craig-TX

 

[Anonymous]

Cold damp/wet wind is your worst enemy. Any kind of shelter or windbreak helps. Three-sided "loafing sheds" are great to have to, usually with opening on South side.

Also very helpful and good insurance to have shelter available if cow calves in the winter so calf doesn't freeze or get sick from damp cold.

We've got loafing sheds for all of our sub-pasture areas. We put up several 12 x 12' x 7' high sheds for about $600 each.

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[Anonymous]

I keep them out of one swamp all summer. There is alot of willow brush, cattails, and canary grass around it. After things freeze up and the corn is off, I put them in the adjoining cornfield and keep them out there all winter. When it is windy they spend all their time in the swamp, just coming out to eat.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with the responses. I just wanted to note that the toughness of cattle is amazing (although when you're treating a sick one it is sometimes hard to believe). We have an open lower floor of a barn for our cows to get into but they NEVER use it. They hang back in the trees when the weather gets real bad or just find a low spot and pile up against each other. Cows calve and calves grow with little effect. This is the semi-Northern east coast so we're not talking Malibu conditions here either.

Just my two cents,

Duncan

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[Anonymous]

Seems like I should do something for them. They are on a small 5 acre field, with no trees, shrubs or bushes. A three sided, small shed would probably do it, huh?

I appreciate all the suggestions and comments. I love coming to these boards to read through and learn a bit.

thanks,

rwhite

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[Anonymous]

Insure that it has good ventilation but without drafts. Stagnant air can cause a lot of health problems.

dun

> Seems like I should do something
> for them. They are on a small 5
> acre field, with no trees, shrubs
> or bushes. A three sided, small
> shed would probably do it, huh?

> I appreciate all the suggestions
> and comments. I love coming to
> these boards to read through and
> learn a bit.

> thanks,

> rwhite

 

[Anonymous]

we had a barn and the cows hardly ever go in it they just need the wind off of them.they like the woods for that if possible. a three sided shelter would be good. i have seen some pictures of tall tin fences on the north side to help block wind.
> What kind of winter shelter do
> cattle need? We've got just 3
> cows, all are pregnant and 2 have
> calfs. Right now they are just in
> a small 5 acre pasture, and we
> supplement their diets with hay.
> They don't have shelter for
> winter, and I am curious to know
> if they need any or not. We live
> an hour south of Salt Lake City,
> Utah. The winters haven't been too
> bad, but we do get fairly cold.

> I appreciate any responses and
> suggestions.

> Thanks,

> rwhite



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[Anonymous]

Minimum: two sides with the outer corner pointing northwest. I'm in Upstate New York and our harsh weather comes from the west or north and it is the wind that will get them. We had a breeze way off the end of our barn and the cows would stay in the corner where the breeze way met the barn. In the pasture of a farm that I worked on there were two walls remaining from an old barn/house/some structure (never saw the original) the walls were field stone (a hundred years old??). The cows would gather on the lee side of those walls and did fine. Again the outer corner of those walls faced northwest. If you are going to build a two wall structure you might as well add a third to add stability etc., another wall and a roof can not hurt.

> What kind of winter shelter do
> cattle need? We've got just 3
> cows, all are pregnant and 2 have
> calfs. Right now they are just in
> a small 5 acre pasture, and we
> supplement their diets with hay.
> They don't have shelter for
> winter, and I am curious to know
> if they need any or not. We live
> an hour south of Salt Lake City,
> Utah. The winters haven't been too
> bad, but we do get fairly cold.

> I appreciate any responses and
> suggestions.

> Thanks,

> rwhite



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