Farmers faced with tough task of protecting cattle during cold snap

FAIRBURY, NE — As mother nature prepares to send temperatures plunging, ranchers are getting their cattle ready for the frigid temperatures.

With wind chills set to hit 40 below, University of Nebraska Extension Educator Darci Pesek says weather from the summer could play a factor now.

"Some of our cattle were skinny this year coming off of summer because of the drought," Pesek said. "They're going to have a lot more trouble maintaining their body heat during this cold snap compared to the ones that have more cover or insulation."

There is plenty ranchers can do and are doing to combat the frigid wind chill. In southeast Nebraska, the real temperature will dip to around 10 below. While still brutal, keeping livestock out of the wind will be crucial, especially for calves.

"If you have a windbreak, just some sort of way for them to get out of the wind, that's a huge help," Pesek said. "That way, the ambient temperature doesn't affect them as much as the wind chill."

Even inside a barn, there are steps that can be taken to keep cattle more comfortable.

"Make sure there's bedding in there so they're not just lying on the cold dirt or cold ground," Pesek said. "Whether its corn stalk bales, straw bales, something to provide them with a bit of insulation on the ground."

Unfortunately for ranchers, this won’t be a one night event. Wind Chill Warnings stay in effect until Saturday. In prolonged cold snaps, the more food and water they get beforehand, the better.

"They'll kind of load up on feed so they have a good fill on them before the storm would hit," Pesek said. "If you can provide them with any type of supplementation, especially for cows out on cornstalks, provide them with protein supplementation, dried distillers grain, anything to help them maintain that energy level."

The supplemented nutrition is especially crucial in southeast Nebraska where a round of snow and ice on Monday covered many cornstalks, reducing that food source for some herds leading up to the storm.

Pesek says it's important continue to supplement their diets after the cold snap passes.

"Let them catch up on the energy they lost so they don't lose a bunch of body conditioning during that cold snap so they maintain their weight," she said. 

The UNL Extension also has resources available for producers. More in-depth information on the topic is available online at beef.unl.edu.