Believe it or not, our girls are loving this weather more than the summer time heat!
Thanks to their thick skin, hair and natural insulation, cows actually prefer temperatures between 40 and 65 degrees. So long as the cows are well fed, healthy, and have dry bedding, they don’t mind the cold.
That said, it’s important to keep cows dry and out of the wind to keep them comfortable. It can be dangerous for cows to be wet in a wind, as they have a hard time bringing their big bodies back to a safe temperature.
There isn’t much to eat in the fields during the winter and we must make sure our girls are getting the nutrition they need. Our cows prefer to stay in their dry barns where they have plenty of space to lay down, walk around, eat, and drink clean water.
To further insulate our animals from winter conditions, we install heavy plastic tarps to block wind out of the barns. The girls keep the place pretty warm with their collective body temperature.
As for the little-ones, we give them coats to keep them warm and bed them in sawdust and straw for nesting. The calf barn is also insulated with tarps.
As for the farmers, long johns, wool socks, gloves, and hats are a must. Many of the farmers also rock a beard during the cold season and make frequent coffee stops at the Barstow’s Dairy Store and Bakery drive thru window!