Dairy farmers like Joyce and Norman Uglow and Ralph Peirick, all of Watertown, embrace various winter cow care practices to make sure their cattle stay cozy all season long. And cows do a good job of preparing for winter on their own, even in Wisconsin’s single-digit temperatures. Thanks to their thick skin, hair and natural insulation, cows actually prefer temperatures between 40 and 60 degrees, Peirick said.
He said his farm, which has been family owned since 1942, is home to about 180 registered and grade Holsteins, red and whites and Jersey cows.
Depending on how cold it is, Peirick will keep a fan running in one of his barns to allow for some air circulation.
“We will keep many of our cows in the main barn and even an unheated barn can stay a comfortable temperature usually between 30 and 40 degrees because of the body heat the cows can generate,” he said. “We will keep the fan running to help draw some of the moist air out of there. You can’t keep them outside 100 percent of the time. That’s not good, especially in this weather.”
He said if cows are allowed to roam outside without any protection they will likely get pneumonia.
“Some of this cold air is good because it is crisp and clean and kills a lot of the germs in the air,” Peirick said.
He said the frigid temperatures can be dangerous for cows especially if they are wet. Luckily, cows prefer to stay in their dry barns, where they have plenty of space to lay down, walk around, eat and drink fresh water.
“As long as they’re well fed, healthy and have dry bedding, cows don’t mind the cold,” Peirick said.
While the adult cows naturally handle cooler temperatures, Joyce Uglow said they take extra precautions at their dairy farm to keep their cows and calves as warm and comfortable as possible.
She said their cows are in the barn for most of the day for milking purposes, but are allowed outside in the mornings and afternoons.
“We’re pretty old fashion in our ways,” she said. “The cows each have their own stanchions in the barn where we milk them,” she said. “We bring the milking machine to the cows.”
She said her husband, Norman, grew up on a farm in Lake Mills and when he grew older his family purchased the farm on Horseshoe Road in Watertown in the mid-1960s. She said following their marriage in 1969 the two have been running the Watertown farm where they have 60 dairy cows.
“The cows are pretty tolerant of the weather,” Joyce said. “They have thick hides and lots of hair so they are pretty tolerant of this cold weather.”
She said it is important to make sure their bedding is dry and clean.
Joyce also said the calves she owns are healthy and tough, but are kept in a heated building, which she admits is more for her comfort when she goes out to check on them.
“We want to provide the calves with a safe, warm place and enough room to move around,” she said.
Veterinarian Jay Triick of Country Veterinary Clinic in Rubicon, who works with small and large animals, stressed shelter when it comes to cold temperatures and farm animals.
“Cattle should have some shelter that is out of the wind and the rest of the elements,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be heated but it gives the animals a reprieve from the cold air. Cattle can do quite well in this weather.”
Triick said cattle should have water but not ice cold water.
“It needs to be kept from freezing,” he said.
He suggested cattle get an increase in their caloric intake with more hay and grains in their diet.
“It takes more to keep their furnaces running in this weather,” he said. “Calves should have their feeding increased to three times a day, if possible.”
As for horses, Triick said if they have shelter they will do just as fine as cattle.
“They need water too,” he said. “They can become quite colicky without it.”
He said if horses are going to be outside coats should be placed on them.
“As long as their hair is kept dry they should do pretty well,” Triick said.
He said owners of horses usually don’t leave their horses outside without any protection.
“They normally have shelters they can go to warm up,” he said.
Triick said dogs — like cattle and horses — need water.
“If they are watered twice a day they should do fine,” he said. “If they are farm dogs they know to go in the barn to stay warm.”
Triick said dog owners of short-haired canines should put a coat or sweater over them if they are going to be out in the cold for any length of time.
“If I let my dog out of the house to go to the bathroom I will put a sweater on him to keep him warm,” he said.
Triick said if they have a good warm dog house to go inside the cold weather shouldn’t bother them too much, but it is best for owners to check on them or bring them inside when they can. He also said it is important to wash off the dog’s paws to keep them free of the salt that is put down to melt the ice and snow.
“The salt can irritate the dog’s pads so it is best to get it off of them,” he said.
Source: Watertown Daily Times