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Measures taken to warm cattle/protect from cold?

Everyone,

Ok, this is all continually helpful information. It sounds like I should either roll with the baby calf niche idea (does anyone hold pricing info on this?) or dog bed idea. Or go pound sand :)

Either way I will continue to work on a durable and cheaper than cow shirt heating pad. Tell you the truth it still might be feasible on those parameters.

Broke Cowboy- is there a time of year you'd be open to visitors? I don't even need to stay for long/freeload, but I've only been to a cattle ranch once.

Or maybe there's cattle insurance in my future, like a real city slicker.

Joe
 
Joe

We are cleaning pens this spring - you want to see how deep that stuff is and the heat that comes off it when we break it open you can come on up

The steam will be rolling out of there and the neighbours some distance away will be keeping their windows closed if the wind takes it their way

Probably be sometime in late May or early June - all depends on the weather - do not wear short pants, short sleeves or sandals - and bring boots that you would feel comfortable wearing while walking through 4 inch deep mud.

It is dirty and stinky and the last folks that visited actually came wearing flip flops and could not understand that the city is warm and the country is cold - so they dressed like they were going to a park in the middle of town. You will need a coat and a hat as well.

bc
 
JoeShanahan said:
Everyone,

Ok, this is all continually helpful information. It sounds like I should either roll with the baby calf niche idea (does anyone hold pricing info on this?) or dog bed idea.

Joe
Click to expand...
It's already been done...if our calves get too cold (and I'm talking when they are born below 15 degrees or in a lot of wind) we bring them into the house and throw them in a calf warming box. You could put a jacket on them but you are eliminating heating the whole calf. Our calf warming box heats them completely...it's like a little "oven", they lay on a raised floor so their underside gets dry/warm too, and we can control them temp we want it set too. Here's an advertisement of the one we use:
383487bbde08a571dfab1b9469038aef_zpse48ff1b6.jpg

No way would we be able to throw something on them in the field to warm them up. If they are so cold we have to bring them in...to keep an eye on them. Great thinking, maybe for a small hobby farmer with a few head of cows. And no way would we try to use a blanket on our mother cows. Someone will get hurt and it would cause a huge amount of stress to the cattle. I live in snow country and for the majority of the time our mama cows don't need assistance with dealing with the cold. This has been a very late spring with just about every night below 20 degrees and we have been fortunate with only a handful of chilled calves coming to the house.
c5109861d11c767da0f54d2d20eedccf_zps9019e131.jpg
 
If you put something on a newborn calf that changes its smell its mother will not take it back . years ago the neighbors bought some little wool calf blankets 12 of them . Used them all 1 stormy night by the next day all the cows disowned their calves ...........The cute little blankets all went in the burn barrel the next day .............Its a great Idea but it would have to be odorless .
 
"And no way would we try to use a blanket on our mother cows. Someone will get hurt and it would cause a huge amount of stress to the cattle. I live in snow...."

Many yrs ago, I was working dirt construction with an Ol' boy named Ernie.

Ernie had been in the army and had been stationed at fort riley, Kansas---which was the last cavalry post. Ernie told me about taking a train load of horses---and mostly mules--to Colorado for 'winter maneuvers'---and outfitting the mules with snowshoes.

I inquired 'how'd that work out, Ernie?'":\

"You ever been around a @@#$ Mule?! About the second time you tried to 'snowshoe up' one, he'd kick your @@#$%^$ head off!"

Ernie did not mention whether the mules had coats, socks or ear muffs. And I never thought to ask. shoot.
 
I feel the best way to warm a calf is to take it in the shower - - - Just like if I get very cold I love a hot shower and so do the claves - - - good blow dry and they are up and ready to go quickly
 
Maybe a USB heated jacket for the guy/gal checking cows would be a better idea. He/she might stay out long enough to thaw out the bowls, so the cows drink more, and thus eat more, to stay warm... :wink:
 
hypocritexposer said:
Maybe a USB heated jacket for the guy/gal checking cows would be a better idea. He/she might stay out long enough to thaw out the bowls, so the cows drink more, and thus eat more, to stay warm... :wink:
Click to expand...

There is probably more truth to this than we would like to admit to.
 
we were calving during the last below 0 cold snap and managed not to lose any even though they calved outside of a barn, partly on being diligent on checking them and a lot on putting down lots of straw, about a foot and a half of it for bedding, its amazing how even a little straw will go so far in saving calves during bad weather. As for your heat wrap idea joe I know you are well intentioned however it would be highly impractical for most livestock operations besides really not needed, If I may make a suggestion, I would turn my attention toward dogs and other pets, my mother has a Chinese pug and a dauchshount who have to be constantly watched when let out in the winter because they will freeze up in no time and cannot even walk back to the house even when they are only 15 or so feet away from the door. I believe that you would find a much more receptive clientele from pet owners for some thing like this besides the obvious need to fill here unlike most livestock owners who really have no need for this sort of thing :)
 

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