Winter is upon us, and for cattle producers, the wind and precipitation can make feeding cattle a challenge. Add the fact that most herds calve this time of year, meaning that cows’ nutritional needs are at their highest. Feeding cattle in winter can become a real chore! Feeding cattle in winter is critical to management, […]
Category: Winter Maintenance
Hay for Cattle is an Important Part of the Diet
Hay for cattle plays a critical role in the diet, providing essential nutrients and a reliable feed source when pasture grasses are unavailable or insufficient. The importance of hay is especially evident when analyzed across the four seasons. Understanding how hay contributes to cattle nutrition year-round helps producers maintain healthy herds and ensure consistent production. […]
Protein for Cattle: VitaFerm® Offers Options
Protein for cattle is essential, especially during critical times like winter when a majority of the cow herd is in late gestation. Furthermore, during the winter, forage quality often declines, and protein supplementation becomes crucial to ensure cattle can efficiently utilize available energy sources and maintain body condition. Cattle have specific nutritional needs that vary […]
A Guide to Feeding Cattle in Winter: the Importance of Protein Supplementation
Feeding cattle in the winter is critical to cattle management, especially in regions where forage quality declines significantly during colder months. Proper nutrition during this period ensures cattle health, productivity and reproductive performance. However, low-quality forage alone often cannot meet the nutritional demands of cattle during winter. In these circumstances, protein supplementation is essential to […]
A Guide to Cattle Parasites
Cattle parasites come in varying shapes and sizes: short, skinny, long, brown or white. Unfortunately, most go undetected until symptoms appear. As winter temperatures approach, cattle producers should prioritize parasite control. Due to environmental conditions and management practices, cattle are susceptible to certain parasites in winter. As temperatures decrease and cattle get hairy and bunch […]
The Importance of Body Condition Score: Cattle Shape is Critical Going into Winter
Managing cattle herd health and nutrition effectively throughout the year is key for livestock producers, but these considerations become even more significant as winter approaches. We ask a lot of the herd during the coldest parts of the year. Cows are calving and going through lactation, all while preparing for breed back. Feed resources are […]
A Guide to Cold Stress in Cattle
Zip up the overalls and strap up the insulated boots. The temperatures are about to dip. As cattle producers, we know how to bundle up and face the bitter cold. However, your cow herd can’t put on the extra layers required when the temperatures dip below freezing and the snow begins to blow. Although cattle […]
How to Provide Winter Cattle Shelter for your Herd
Providing adequate winter cattle shelter is essential for herd health and well-being during the coldest months of the year. Yes, cattle are fairly cold-tolerant. However, the combination of wind chill and moisture can lead to cold stress, which leads to lowered performance and decreased immune response. At VitaFerm®, providing quality nutrition is our main priority. […]
How Cold Can Cows Tolerate?
As livestock producers, we have a lot of concerns. We worry about input costs, if we made the right breeding decisions and where cattle prices will be when we are ready to sell. All these are issues that you likely deal with regularly. Another concern for many ranchers is the weather. Now, cattle are hardy […]
Managing Your Cows in the Winter
The changing of the seasons is inevitable. That’s true whether you’re running Angus cows in North Dakota or Hereford and black baldie cows in south central Mississippi. However, when you’re a cattle producer whose livelihood depends on those mama cows, the changing seasons mean making a few adaptations to cow nutrition and care to make […]
