Good winter management practices contribute to healthy cattle, reasonable feed costs and long-term productivity of the beef cow herd. There will be times during the winter when it will be necessary to adjust the ration to help cows through cold conditions.
When does a cow begin to feel cold stress? Cold stress, defined as lower critical temperature, is the temperature below which a resting animal must increase its metabolic rate to stay warm. The actual air temperature when this occurs varies depending in large part on the amount of insulation the animal has. Thickness of the hair coat…
