The Great COLD North
As Michiganders experience this winter vortex, you may have some questions about keeping your farm animals, pets or working animals alike, safe and warm.
Tips and Tricks for Keeping Farm Animals Safe in Extreme Cold:
Housing - Make sure your animals have a place to get out of the wind and direct snow. A lean-to, small barn, Calf Hutch or Calf Igloo; anything that they can choose to go in or out of as they need.
Calories - Comfort food isn’t just for humans! Farm animals should be offered 10%-15% extra feed just to keep warm. Shivering burns calories, so make sure they are offered some extra on days <20oF (-6oC)
Water - I personally HATE hammering out buckets, but it is very easy to get dehydrated when your water source is frozen over. Check buckets and troughs twice a day. Check that heated buckets are still working. You can always offer some warm electrolytes in a bucket while cleaning and feeding. I use a gallon milk jug to carry warm electrolytes out once a day as to my chickens as I feed and collect eggs.
Fire Safety - Crazy to think that we have to be looking out for fires in negative degree weather! But make sure if you are using heat lamps that you are checking it twice a day and it is at least 1-2 feet away from bedding and feed. Check your wiring for heat lamps, heated buckets, and heat mats as well. Fires are really devastating, and are most common in the winter!
Blankets and Coats - Not all farm animals need a blanket or jacket, but young stock may need a bit of help. Ruminants have their own personal heater with their rumen, but if your babies are still on milk, or your animals didn’t get a chance to grow a nice winter coat, consider bundling them up! If you do decide to put a jacket on a farm animal, check them for moisture (urine and feces specifically) daily. Soiled jackets can cause irritation or even make the animal colder. If you wouldn’t put it on, you should not put it on your animal.
Bedding - Some extra bedding like dry straw and shavings can help them “nest” up and keep warm. Make sure it is dry. Again, if the bedding is so soiled that you would not lay in it, your animal won’t lay in it either.
Frostbite management - It happens, even to the best of us. If you are concerned that an animal may have frostbite, contact your veterinarian. It is irreversible, but we can manage pain, change management styles, and monitor to see if amputation is necessary. Signs are discolouration of the skin, loss of warmth and feeling, and pain. Common areas to watch are chicken toes and wattles, scrotums, ear tips, and poopy bums.
Newborns - Lambs, foals, kids, and calves need extra attention. Try to make sure your animals are not giving birth outside. Prepare for your babies to hita warm, clean, dry environment and get colostrum into them quickly.
Piling - This is when animals pile ontop of each other. This is defferent than snuggling. Piling can be dangerous as it can cause suffocation, crushing, and prolapsing. Pigs and piglets are especially prone to this behaviour.
If you have more questions or concerns, feel free to email kmpfarmvets@gmail.com
Stay safe out there friends!
