Good for you, I think you are on the right track. Water is the #1 nutrient
and without it, the other nutrients aren't utilized properly.
We ran a ranch in the 70's where some of the cattle had to eat snow much of the time and they didn't winter nearly as good as the cattle that had access to water. In fact, you could visibly see the cattle that didn't have a good water source by the way the hair parted in the middle of their tail. Made their tail actually look flat instead of normal; and their hair coat looked very dry and bleached out. These cattle were all on a grass/cake outfit; the only difference between groups was availability of water. So, like you, we didn't think wintering on snow worked there either. The only thing I could think of that made it work in Canada vs where we were, is that the snow up there might be wetter.
In this area, every rancher I know is developing water where water is short. It has made them money.[/quote]
I feel cattle can survive on snow - - - but I want my cattle to thrive!!! I make sure they have good water - - - Purdue did a study several years ago and at the time stated if you cattle are drinking water below 42F they will use more food to warm it up than what the electricity would cost to warm it for them. With the increase in power cost I don't know if this still holds true or not but then feed cost have risen as well.
I baby my cattle and they never have to travel over 100 yards to fresh water any time of the year.