The activities of a producer preparing for colder weather depends greatly on your geographic location. Primary concerns surround the availability of feed and forage during the cold weather ahead. You need to make sure your cattle consume adequate amounts of energy to maintain body condition and production.
If you reside in an are where freezing temperatures are not common, you have several options, including planting winter grasses and legumes to maintain adequate grazing. You can also start to store hay which provides adequate forage intake to cattle on summer pastures. You may also need to begin feeding hay early to cattle on short pastures to prevent low-energy health problems before winter season.
In northern climates, producers should have stockpiled forage or hay that will be available to animals during cold weather. If snow accumulation is anticipated, producers should create a plan for cost-effective delivery of hay and other feedstuffs to their cattle. Water availability should also be evaluated. For spring or summer calving cows, calves should be removed or weaned prior to winter to minimize forage or energy requirements due to the lactating cow's feed requirements.
