Two-thousand and sixteen has offered farmers and ranchers a warm autumn so far.
While the weather has been a blessing for pastures, livestock and those last minute pre-winter projects, everyone in the Ozarks knows that the weather can turn on a dime, and that freezing temperatures can be literally just a front away – and you don’t want your herds to get caught in the cold.
For animals that continue to “work” through the winter, such as dairy cows, keeping energy up is critical to maintaining both the health and production of your herd.
When should providing extra energy to your cows become a factor in your winter management?
Dairy cows need an energy boost when the temperature drops below the “thermoneutral zone.”
The thermoneutral zone is when the temperature is comfortable to the cow and requires no extra energy for warming or cooling, Reagan Bluel, dairy specialist for the University of Missouri Extension explained.
“For typical dairy cows this zone is 32 to 77 degrees. Once the temperatures are consistently below the lower critical temperature of 32 degrees, then she begins to uses energy (calories), in the form of shivering, to keep warm,” Bluel said.
The coat condition of the cow also plays a role in the determining what the critical lower temp is for your herd.
“If the coat is wet – the critical lower temperature, where energy begins being used to keep warm, could go all the way up to 60 degrees. Once the full winter coat is on, insulation of the animal is improved and the lower critical temp could drop to 20 degrees,” Bluel said.
How much extra energy is required?
The answer is in the body condition score.
“Look at the herd,” Bluel advised. “The body condition score is the amount of subcutaneous fat present on the cow. Monitoring body condition score change is the most direct and affordable way to determine if your diet is meeting her needs. Be sure to check body condition scores now, before the cold sets in, and again in two to four weeks. This is also a good time to assess hair coat condition to help determine when cold stress might begin for your herd.”
Once you have determined if your cows need groceries, you can select an appropriate feed. Grains and forages of a high quality are both acceptable options that will provide energy for cold animals – just be sure that you continue to feed for a balanced diet.
Why should you worry about keeping up your herd’s energy?
“By providing the adequate energy required to keep warm, it will decrease stress in your herd. Additionally, your herd will have adequate energy to support a strong immune system – to help ward off disease during the winter. Finally, your herd will have more energy available to maintain productivity – rather than losing productivity, even through the cold days of winter,” Bluel said.
