It’s been dry with above normal temperatures….now is the time to get things ready for winter.
If you live in the Southern Plains thoughts of cold weather have probably been far from your mind with all the above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation that we have seen this fall; but rest assured, winter is coming. And just as it’s never a good idea to start planning for drought in the middle of a dry spell, it’s never a good idea to wait until the weather turns cold to start preparing your operation for winter. With that in mind, we wanted to take a little time and share with you some tips on what livestock producers should be considering as the cold weather approaches.
What will you do for water?
It seems pretty obvious that producers should be mindful about adequate water sources for livestock, but in a drought year like this one, additional challenges can present themselves. When ponds are low, they become more susceptible to freezing. There are also issues that arise from frozen water hydrants and wells. Now is the time to evaluate your water sources—do you have a plan for providing clean, abundant water for your animals even if we encounter an extreme cold snap like we did in February 2021? Give it some thought.
Do you have enough hay and feed?
The weather has not been great when it comes to forage production. Even if we saw this drought break tomorrow, we are running short on growing days for warm season grasses. More than likely, what we have in the way of grass now is all we are going to get and if you are a dual-purpose wheat producer you know that there isn’t much wheat pasture out there. With the demand and price for hay increasing, getting a handle on your needs now is more critical than ever.
Build or repair windbreaks.
Shelter from the wind not only improves conditions for your livestock, it also puts money in your pocket. Simply put, the colder a cow is, the more she eats. Whether you’re are making (or repairing) a permanent structure or stacking some hay bales to provide a temporary windbreak, making sure your animals have some protection should be a priority.
Monitor the body condition of your cow herd.
The dry period is the best time to put flesh and weight on cows that may have gotten too thin while raising a calf in the summer. Managing now for optimum body conditions when your cattle calve next spring will pay future dividends.
Remember too, now might be a good time to consider culling underperforming animals from your herd. Take a long hard look at your operation to see if now might be the time to make some changes.
For more information on all of this check out this Oklahoma Farm Report article from Dr. Mark Johnson at Oklahoma State University and check out this article from Successful Farming about windbreaks. You can also check out a similar blog we wrote about getting ready for winter last year or this blog that we wrote in 2021 about preparing for the record cold snap that February.
It’s always a good idea to get ahead of the curve. The last thing you want to do is to try and play catch-up when the cold weather gets here.
View this blog post and other content at the Southern Plains Perspective by clicking here!
