Effectively managing your cow herd through the cold snaps to come can set you up for a
productive year. Winter weather is unpredictable, but there are a few things you can do to help
cattle combat cold stress:

1. Stay aware!
Routinely keeping an eye on the 10-day forecast can help you plan and stay ahead of weather changes.

2. Monitor Body Condition: Fat cover on cows with a BCS of 5 or higher acts as insulation and reduces the amount of energy needed to stay warm. Thin cows (BCS 4 or lower) require more energy to stay warm than cows in adequate BCS. These cows require supplementation at slightly higher temperatures to be able to maintain body heat without losing even more weight. According to for cows with dry heavy winter coats at a BCS of 5, supplementation is needed at 18F, where a cow of 4 or lower BCS requires supplementation at 27F. Lower Critical Temperatures:

Coat Condition LCT
Wet or Summer Coat 59 F
Dry Fall Coat 45 F
Dry Winter Coat 32 F
Dry Heavy Winter Coat 18 F

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3. Protect from wind and moisture:
Coat condition, moisture, and wind can all affect the temperatures at which supplementation should be offered to cows. A cow in good BCS with a dry, thick winter coat will tolerate cold stress much better than a cow that has a wet coat in the wind! Providing protection from moisture and wind can help reduce the energy needed for cows to stay warm.

4. Supplement cows accordingly:
As a rule of thumb, cows require 1% more energy for every 1F under the critical temperature. Knowing the information above and where the critical temperature for your cows is can help you decide how much extra supplement your cows need.

For example:
Cows in adequate BCS and a dry, heavy winter coat at 10 F wind chill: LCT – wind chill = % increase in energy requirement 18F – 10F = 8% increase in energy requirement For a 1200-pound cow in late gestation the energy requirement is 13 pounds of TDN. An energy requirement increase of 8%, is equal to 1.04 pounds of added TDN required to maintain body temperature. Understanding how cold temperatures impact your cattle and how to help them combat cold stress can help maintain productivity through the cold months. Contact your sales representative to discuss cow supplementation options for your cow herd!