What’s a good way to avoid frostbite in newborn calves? Feed their mothers in the evening.
That surprising advice was relayed by Dr. Jeremy Powell, University of Arkansas Extension Veterinarian, and is based on studies by a Canadian Hereford breeder named Gus Konefal and replicated at Iowa State University. Konefal, “identified that if he fed his animals during a different time of the day, it would affect when the cows would give birth,” Powell told Ozarks Farm & Neighbor. According to the studies, if fed in the morning, it was 50-50 whether the cow would calve during the day or the colder nighttime hours; fed in the evening, the odds of daytime delivery shot up to about 85 percent.
In addition to frostbite, Powell said producers should attempt to protect calves from hypothermia; in severe cases, the animal’s body temperature can fall to 94 degrees or lower versus the normal 101.5 degrees. “The animal would appear uncoordinated,” he said. “They wouldn’t have good control of their muscles; they may be, at later stages, even lying down, pupils dilated, gasping for air.” In the worst case, they could die of exposure. He recommended getting the exposed animal into a covered area and, if available, using heat lamps to warm and dry it.
Frostbite, Powell said, is hard to detect until the damage is done; it tends to affect peripheral areas like the ears and tip of the tail, and can produce sloughing of skin because of the lack of blood flow. It can also result in fertility problems if it affects the testes or scrotum of bulls, or mammary difficulties if it attacks the teats of females.
Andy McCorkill, regional livestock specialist at the University of Missouri Extension office in Dallas County, told OFN, “Initially, the frostbite affected tissue will fell cold and stiff at the tips. Over time the tissue will become stiff and leathery, and oftentimes will develop an off color that is darker than the healthy tissue surrounding the affected area.” Newborn calves in the first 48 hours of their lives, and older cattle that are facing some health issues, are the most susceptible.
McCorkill said there isn’t a good treatment after the effects of frostbite take hold, and the producer’s best bet is to try to create an environment that reduces the risks of frostbite ahead of time; one example would be maintaining cows at body condition scores of 5-7 during calving, so newborns get well-fortified colostrum and are better able to fend off illness. If cold weather does strike newborn calves, he said, “Some things to think about keeping on hand are a clean pen in out of the weather, electrolyte packages, milk and colostrum replacer, bottle and esophageal tube, towels or rags to wipe off a new born calf if necessary.”
Dr Patrick Davis, regional livestock specialist and Cedar County Program Director for University of Missouri Extension, noted cows can also get frostbite on their teats; this can cause scarring that leaves the calf unable to nurse. The teat will have to be physically reopened to prevent the quarter of the udder from drying up, and the calf becoming undernourished and thin. The sphincter muscle of the teat could also be lost, increasing risk of mastitis. Bulls can also get frostbite on their scrotum, which can lead to transitory or permanent infertility. The producer should conduct a breeding soundness exam within 45 to 60 day after extreme cold weather and wind chills to rule out bull infertility.
Davis told OFN because of the economic impact of tissue damage and/or cosmetic damage, it is important for ranchers to understand frostbite prevention techniques so the condition does not become a problem in their operations. When there are below zero temperatures and wind chills, proper shelter and bedding are essential, and windbreaks are helpful in reducing cold wind blowing on cattle and calves. He said, “Identifying calves that have not naturally gotten up and dried off, and putting them in a warming area or box where the temperature is 105-108 degrees will help in reducing cattle frostbite.” If signs of frostbite are observed, the cold and stiff areas can be treated with warm water or towels but he added, “Do not rub the affected areas, because this will worsen the tissue damage.”
