

Winter Cow Supplementation Options
Cold temperatures coupled with wind chill and precipitation make it challenging to meet a cow’s nutrient requirements during the winter months.
Cold temperatures coupled with wind chill and precipitation make it challenging to meet a cow’s nutrient requirements during the winter months.
As is the case with providing for the care of livestock and other large animals during flooding, a little forward planning for the care of pets can really pay off when considering the disruptions that spring flooding can bring.
On April 16, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center released their climate outlook for May and the coming three-month period of May through July. There is a lot of uncertainty in the temperature outlook for the next one-to-three months in the Northern Plains Region.
Most of the Great Plains, of which Western South Dakota is part of, have always been considered a semi-arid area of the U.S. This region is characterized by hot, relatively short summers, and usually cold, dry winters.
Winter is here and snow and icy roads will increase the risk for accidents. Getting ready to leave the house and going to work on the snow and ice might be a problem for inexperienced people.
Cold weather is not just hard on the people taking care of animals, it can be tough on the animals themselves. Consider respiratory disease (pneumonia) in dairy calves.
Cold stress can result in calves turning to stored body fat to generate body heat, essentially losing weight. In addition, calves experiencing cold stress will have compromised immune systems making them more susceptible to disease.
Proper newborn lamb care is a critical component of flock profitability. In the U.S. lamb mortality from all causes is approximately 20% with more than 80% of those losses occurring in the first two-weeks following lambing.
Animal care starts with having confidence in facilities and ventilation systems that safeguard health in all weather conditions. Testing emergency backup equipment at the start of a new year is a good preventative practice.
South Dakota is well known for its strong livestock industries. Cattle, sheep, poultry, hogs and horses are common across the state, and three of these rely heavily on South Dakota’s grasslands. What surprises many South Dakotans is the strength of one of our other grass-based livestock industries.