It’s been a chilly winter so far, with temperatures and windchill factors dipping into the minus 40's at times.
Saskatchewan Ruminant Nutrition Specialist Murray Feist says livestock producers should have extra feed supplies on hand to meet the nutritional needs of their cattle in the extreme cold temperatures, and they should have bedding and shelters on the farm to keep them protected from the wind.
He added with calving approaching, there are some things to keep in mind if there are any early arrivals in this cold weather, including feeding grain to the cow.
"Grain will bring some energy into the diet, it will help the cow maintain some temperature plus you'll have that cow's rumen conditioned for lactation if the cold weather continues and the grain will bring some energy and nutrition to the cow. Her intake will go up so she will have to try and support not only her winter maintenance requirement but also the demands of lactation."
Source : Portageonline