Cold temperatures, wind and snow make for a long season in the Upper Midwest. As cattle producers are preparing their herds for the months ahead, experts say winter success comes down to nutrition, shelter and vigilance.
In this March weather, use聽body condition score to keep track of livestock's health.
kAm#FDD s2=J[ AC@76DD@C 2?5 $@FE9 s2<@E2 $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ tIE6?D:@? G6E6C:?2C:2?[ D2:5 E96 3:886DE 962=E9 492==6?86 4@HD 7246 :? H:?E6C @7E6? DE2CED H:E9 ?FEC:E:@?] pD E6>A6C2EFC6D 5C@A[ 4@HD FD6 >@C6 6?6C8J E@ >2:?E2:? 3@5J 962E] %92E AFED 6IEC2 DEC6DD @? J@F?8 @C E9:? 2?:>2=D]k^Am
kAm鈥%96 D>2==6C @C J@F?86C E96 42=7[ E96 92C56C :E :D 7@C E96> E@ <66A H2C>[鈥 s2=J D2:5] 鈥渪7 H6 >2?286 E92E 4@CC64E=J H:E9 6?@F89 6?6C8J 2?5 AC@E6:?[ E96J 42? 92?5=6 2 =@E] qFE :7 ?@E[ :E 42? 364@>6 2? 6>6C86?4J AC6EEJ BF:4<=J]鈥漦^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 3@5J 4@?5:E:@? :D E96 36DE H2J 7@C AC@5F46CD E@ :56?E:7J 2E\C:D< 42EE=6] r@HD D4@C:?8 :? E96 =@H E9C66 @C 7@FC C2?86 ?665 :>>65:2E6 2EE6?E:@?] sFC:?8 =2E6 86DE2E:@?[ A@@C ?FEC:E:@? 42? =625 E@ H62< 4@HD[ 5:77:4F=E 42=G:?8 2?5 D=@H6C C64@G6CJ]k^Am
kAm鈥$@>6E:>6D E9@D6 4@HD H:== DE2CG6 E@ 562E9 6G6? H96? 7665 :D @FE[ 3642FD6 E96:C 6?6C8J DE@C6D 2C6 8@?6[鈥 s2=J D2:5] 鈥*@F 42?鈥橢 H2:E E@ 7:I E92E @?46 :E鈥橠 4@=5]鈥漦^Am
kAm(:?E6C 2=D@ 3C:?8D D64@?52CJ 962=E9 AC@3=6>D[ DF49 2D =:46 2?5 =2E6\E6C> 23@CE:@?D] !C@5F46CD @7E6? EC62E =:46 E@@ 62C=J[ s2=J D2:5[ 2?5 3J >:5H:?E6C E96 :?D64ED 364@>6 >@C6 24E:G6 2D 4@2ED E9:4<6? 2?5 42EE=6 3F?49 4=@D6C E@86E96C] !@FC\@? AC@5F4ED 42? 96=A[ 3FE E:>:?8 >2EE6CD]k^Am
kAms2=J 2=D@ H2C?65 23@FE 7C@DE3:E6[ H9:49 42? D9@H FA :? 42=G6D鈥 62CD @C :? 3F==D鈥 C6AC@5F4E:G6 @C82?D]k^Am
kAm鈥!=6?EJ @7 8@@5 3655:?8 2?5 AC@E64E:@? 7C@> H:?5 2C6 <6J[鈥 96 D2:5] 鈥渪E鈥橠 32D:4 2?:>2= 9FD32?5CJ[ 3FE :E >2<6D 2 9F86 5:776C6?46]鈥漦^Am
kAmu@C AC@5F46CD E9:?<:?8 29625 E@ 42=G:?8[ s2=J D2:5 2 32=2?46 :D :>A@CE2?E] ~G6C4@?5:E:@?65 4@HD 42? 42=G6 92C5[ 3FE E9:? @?6D DECF88=6 E@ AC@5F46 962=E9J 42=G6D 2?5 6?@F89 4@=@DECF>]k^Am
kAmzJ=6 #@K63@@>[ 2 =:G6DE@4< ?FEC:E:@?:DE H:E9 E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:??6D@E2[ D2:5 >2:?E2:?:?8 3@5J 4@?5:E:@? DE2CED H:E9 A=2??:?8]k^Am
kAm鈥$@>6 A6@A=6 H:== D2J 2 3@5J 4@?5:E:@? D4@C6 @7 7:G6 :D 7:?6[ 3FE x鈥5 C2E96C D66 4@HD 36EH66? 7:G6 2?5 2 92=7 2?5 D:I 2?5 2 92=7[鈥 #@K63@@> D2:5] 鈥%@@ E9:? 2?5 J@F CF? :?E@ C6AC@5F4E:G6 @C >:=< AC@5F4E:@? AC@3=6>D] %@@ 962GJ 2?5 J@F鈥機6 AC@323=J @G6C7665:?8]鈥漦^Am
kAmr@=5 DEC6DD C2:D6D 6?6C8J C6BF:C6>6?ED 3642FD6 7665 E92E ?@C>2==J 8@6D E@H2C5 >:=< AC@5F4E:@? @C 76E2= 8C@HE9 :D :?DE625 3FC?65 7@C 3@5J 962E[ #@K63@@> D2:5] pD E6>A6C2EFC6D 72==[ 96 C64@>>6?5D :?4C62D:?8 7665 BF2?E:EJ @C BF2=:EJ]k^Am
kAm鈥渰@H\BF2=:EJ 92J 7:==D E96 CF>6?[ 3FE :E 5@6D?鈥橢 AC@G:56 6?@F89 ?FEC:6?ED[鈥 96 D2:5] 鈥*@F 4@F=5 D66 4@HD 86EE:?8 D<:??:6C 6G6? E9@F89 E96J =@@< 7F==]鈥漦^Am
kAmu665 E6DED 42? 96=A 56E6C>:?6 H96E96C 7@C286D >66E ?FEC:E:@?2= ?665D] x7 AC@E6:? =6G6=D 2C6 =@H[ 2 DFAA=6>6?E DF49 2D 2 AC@E6:? EF3 @C 3JAC@5F4E 7665 >2J 36 ?646DD2CJ] !C@5F46CD 7665:?8 9:896C\BF2=:EJ 2=72=72 92J >2J :?DE625 ?665 6IEC2 6?6C8J D@FC46D =:<6 4@C?]k^Am
kAm|@?:E@C:?8 3@5J 4@?5:E:@? E9C@F89@FE E96 D62D@? :D E96 36DE :?5:42E@C @7 H96E96C 2 C2E:@? :D H@C<:?8] #@K63@@> D2:5 D@>6 AC@5F46CD 6G6? H6:89 4@HD 367@C6 H:?E6C 2?5 282:? :? >:5D62D@? E@ EC24< 492?86D]k^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ 25G:D65 D6A2C2E:?8 J@F?8 96:76CD @C E9:? 4@HD 7C@> >2EFC6 4@HD H96? A@DD:3=6] ~=56C 4@HD E6?5 E@ 5@>:?2E6 7665 2C62D[ =62G:?8 J@F?86C 2?:>2=D D9@CE @? ?FEC:6?ED]k^Am
kAm鈥%9@D6 J@F?86C 96:76CD 2C6 DE:== 8C@H:?8[ D@ E96:C ?665D 2C6 5:776C6?E[鈥 #@K63@@> D2:5] 鈥渪7 J@F 42? >2?286 E96> 2D D6A2C2E6 8C@FAD[ J@F鈥== D66 36EE6C C6DF=ED]鈥漦^Am
kAmq@E9 DA64:2=:DED D2:5 AC6A2C2E:@?[ C2E96C E92? C624E:@?[ 567:?6D DF446DD7F= H:?E6C >2?286>6?E] %92E >62?D E6DE:?8 7665 62C=J[ 25;FDE:?8 5:6ED 367@C6 E96 7:CDE 566A 7C66K6 2?5 6?DFC:?8 D96=E6C 2?5 3655:?8 2C6 :? A=246]k^Am
kAm鈥%96J鈥機6 E@F89 2?:>2=D[鈥 s2=J D2:5] 鈥渜FE H96? E96 H:?5 DE2CED 9@H=:?8 2?5 7665 BF2=:EJ 5C@AD[ 6G6? E96 E@F896DE 4@H ?665D 2 =:EE=6 96=A]鈥漦^Am
Born and raised on a farm in southeastern South Dakota, Katelyn currently resides in Sioux Falls. She enjoys attending SDSU football games (her alma mater), going to farmer鈥檚 markets and visiting her parents at their family farm. Reach her at聽kwinberg@tristateneighbor.com .
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!