PRINCETON, Ky. — Those who raise livestock and poultry chose their path. They do it for a number of reasons – to make a living, because they love it, because it’s their family business, or (most likely) some combination of the above.
Most days, things are pretty routine. During the recent winter weather and record low temperatures, though, it’s been anything but routine. Water freezes, roads are treacherous and sometimes impassable, and, unfortunately, calves are born. That frozen water must be thawed or the ice broken in order for both dairy and beef cattle breeds to get adequate water to drink. Whether the source is a stock tank, automatic waterer or a pond, farmers are always on duty to make sure their cows have access to fresh water – even if they have to truck it in.
Feeding is another matter entirely. While most cattle are fed hay during the winter months, their consumption during extreme cold can ramp up. The cold temperatures require more body heat in order for them to stay warm, and producing more body heat requires more fuel in the form of hay and feed. University of Kentucky Associate
Extension Professor Dr. Jeffrey Lehmkuhler (who specializes in nutrition in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences) notes that during extreme weather such as what we are experiencing across the Commonwealth, there can be as much as a fifteen percent increase in hay usage and consumption.
While our commercial-scale pork and poultry producers generally keep their animals inside barns, weather-related issues can arise there, too. While most have generators, the power can fail. Too much heavy snow or ice can cause barn roofs to collapse. Impassable roads can prohibit the delivery of piglets or chicks, or the load-out of mature animals destined for market. In the dairy industry, there’s always the possibility that a producer may have to dump milk because the truck simply can’t get to the farm.
Whether you are enjoying some snow days or are ready for the cold temps to move out, we want you to know that your Kentucky livestock and poultry producers aren’t taking snow days. They are working to keep your grocery’s meat and dairy cases full, and they’re taking the best possible care of the animals in their herds and flocks.
For more information on livestock and poultry in Kentucky, visit www.kylivestockcoalition.org.
— Kentucky Livestock Coalition via Kentucky Soybean Board and Association
For more Kentucky news, click here.
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