Post by thystledown on Dec 5, 2018 13:22:06 GMT -5
We got sub zero temps before thanksgiving this year. Yesterday we brought 3 cold stressed animals home from the far pasture where they have daily round bale and a small run-in shelter that gets wet and nasty rather quickly. The big pure beefers do fine (black baldies, Charolais crosses, white park crosses) but the dairy and dairy cross steers were losing weight and humped up with the cold as well as one just yearling (october calf last year) black baldy heifer. Home has heated water tanks vs a spring and drier run-in shed. I will also turn them out where they have brush cover. And my Jersey halved her production since the first cold snap--she was producing over 3 gallons OAD mid-November by my records and today was 1.5 gallons. Jersey and her calf spend the night in the barn which is dry and wind-free, but uninsulated; out doors with heated water tank and shelter during the day. We have bought galloway semen to see if that helps with the cold for the beefers--though truly, they don't seem to be a problem except for the accidental late calf. But I wonder if there is anything that would help the dairy animals? I am sad to see production plummet in the third month of lactation. This has been typical of this Jersey her whole life, and she does better than the Guernsey I had last year who continued to milk heavy and lost condition like water leaking out of a tub, but I wonder if a blanket or corn meal or anything would help. We have 4 months of really cold weather still to go. BTW, the hay is good. Nice peak or near peak protein 1st cutting and good thick second cutting grass clover mix--all stored indoors. Thoughts or suggestions? The holstein steer wont be a year old until the end of December and I'm thinking he may need to be baby beef rather than go through the winter.