Cold Weather Cattle Tips
Feb 15, 2021
I think we all knew it was going to happen, but the cold Iowa weather has finally hit us. The cattle that are in the last trimester are using a lot of energy to keep the calf warm during these harsh temperatures. Cattle will need around 30% more feed to replace all that used energy and plenty of fresh running water. I am working on making sure all our locations have waterer heaters. I call these the hockey puck heaters and they are the ones that go under the waterer to make sure to keep the water flowing. In the past on older tanks, I have used a light bulb and a fan on low underneath the tanks and it has work well.
The cold months are here but I am already thinking about the warmer months! I have been discussing our many fly control options with Scott, Kent W., and Mark J. Our most common options are loose mineral with fly control. These need to be feed for about two weeks to reach their full effectiveness. Even with the cold weather, now is a good time to come into our any of our locations and discuss options, that way you can be ready.