COLUMBUS, Ohio — Taking care of equipment before winter is priority No. 1 for most farmers, but their livestock need just as much attention, says Ron Lemenager, a ruminant specialist at Purdue University.

“Cattle are healthier, have more successful pregnancies and have better rates of gain when they have access to quality nutrition and facilities during the cold winter months,” Lemenager said. “Once producers know what they have in terms of forage, they can start to plan their supplemental feeding strategies based on animal protein and energy needs.”

Common supplements include corn and grain byproducts, such as soybean hulls, corn gluten feed and distillers grains.

“Beef producers should ensure there are adequate minerals and vitamins in the diet by providing a high quality vitamin-mineral mix,” he said. “Minerals are especially important to immune function and reproduction.

“Once you observe a killing frost it will be time to consider de-worming and vaccinating cows and calves.”

Facilities should be on producers’ minds as well, he said, adding now is the time to start double-checking fences and barns, especially if producers will be moving their herds closer to the headquarters or to a dry lot for the winter.

“Make sure tank heaters and electric waterers are winterized, running and ready to go,” Lemenager advised.

The addition of windbreaks or pasture shelters can help cows retain body heat during winter.

Cows can handle zero or sub-zero temperatures, but wind chill caused when hides are wet can be difficult for the animals to abide. “If we can reduce wind chill factors, that dramatically reduces energy requirements of cows,” he said.

According to Lemenager, each 10-degree temperature drop in wind chill below 30 degrees Fahrenheit increases a cow’s energy requirement by 13 percent if the animal has a dry winter hair coat and a moderate body condition score. If the cow is wet or thin, the energy requirement increases by 30 percent for each 10-degree drop.

Katie Young, equine nutritionist at Purina Animal Nutrition, says horse owners need to consider how to prepare their animals for winter. During the cold season, horse owners must make sure their animals receive proper feed, water and shelter to stay healthy and comfortable.

“If horse owners maintain their horses over the winter, all that effort won’t go to waste and have to be started over in the spring,” she said.

Although grain does not provide as much of an internal warming effect as hay, it is often necessary to supplement a horse’s winter ration with additional grain to boost calorie supplies.

“In general, feeding an additional quarter-pound of grain per 100 pounds of body weight to non-working horses will provide adequate calories during cold, windy and wet weather,” she said. “Working horses may require up to an additional half-pound per 100 pounds body weight, depending on workload, to maintain body weight during cold weather.”

Water, too, should always be readily available. “Ideally, the water temperature should be between 45 degrees and 65 degrees Fahrenheit,” Young said. “If the water is too cold, the horse may drink less, thereby decreasing water and lubrication in the gut and increasing the chance of impaction-induced colic. If the horse drinks less water, it may also eat less feed, resulting in loss of body weight and condition.”

Many horses have the winter off from work because of cold weather, the rider’s lack of time or because they are given a break after a heavy show season. However, if horses are idle for too long, they may forget some of what they have been taught and lose the fitness level they gained over the year of work.

So, to prevent the winter slump, Young tells riders to longe their horses once or twice a week.

“Winter may not be the easiest time of year for enjoying our horses, but with proper feed, water, shelter and some exercise and conditioning, our horses will make it through comfortably and be ready to go again as soon as the weather allows,” she explained.