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Tag: cold stress

Managing Beef Cows During Cold Stress

Posted on by Sandy Johnson

Jason Warner, cow-calf specialist & Justin Waggoner, beef cattle specialist, Garden City

Cow-calf producers generally recognize that severe winter weather is a stressor which increases cow nutrient requirements.  The practical questions that must be asked when managing cowherds through cold stress events are “What is cold to cow?”, “What nutrients increase and by how much?”, and “How should the feeding program be adjusted to offset the increase?”. Continue reading “Managing Beef Cows During Cold Stress” →

Preparing for Winter Weather Extremes

Posted on by Sandy Johnson

Sandy Johnson, extension beef specialist, Colby

It is hard to prepare for extreme winter weather when December in Kansas may be one of the warmest on record. However, variability seems to be a characteristic of our weather lately and a drop in temperature with or without above normal precipitation could create some very stressful conditions for livestock. Animals adapt to colder weather as we go through the fall into winter, but if there is an abrupt change, without acclimation, the stress is compounded. Planning ahead can lessen some of the challenges. Continue reading “Preparing for Winter Weather Extremes” →

Effects of Limit Feeding Cold Stressed Growing Calves in the Morning Versus the Evening, as well as Bunk Line Sharing on Performance

Posted on by Sandy Johnson

Objective: To determine the response of cold stressed growing calves to being fed in the evening instead of morning hours, as well as the effect of bunk line sharing.

Study Description: Crossbred steers (n = 360) of Texas, Oklahoma, and Idaho origin were blocked by weight into four size groups and randomly assigned to pens, which were randomly allocated to one of five treatments. Continue reading “Effects of Limit Feeding Cold Stressed Growing Calves in the Morning Versus the Evening, as well as Bunk Line Sharing on Performance” →