wintertime has yet to officially arrive , but cold temperatures and snow in some parts of the U.S. tell us clearly that it ’s fall . Now is the clock time to treble - assay various aspects of your farm military operation so your animals can handle whatever the season throws at them . Here are some things to think as your winterize your barn as well as ley and farm lots for your stock .
1. Know Your Need for Feed
In most parts of the U.S. , access to pasture diminishes greatly in the wintertime , but grazing animals still need roughage for a vast majority of their diet . discipline your hay stores . Do you have enough ? If you do n’t have the place to store enough until spring , do you have a dependable supplier for the middle of winter ? A corollary to this is to make trusted you’restoring hayproperly : A teetotal , well - ventilated area is key , and wanton accessibility is a summation . If this is the first winter for your animals , you might wonder how much hay they really need . A general rulehorses : An average adult horse eats or so 2 percent of its body free weight in hay per daytime — so 20 pounds of hay per day for a 1,000 - British pound Equus caballus . This is also a decent road map forcattleas well . Keep in intellect that intake varies middling depending on the quality of the roughage . For more accurate calculations , consider getting your hay analyzed and let the cat out of the bag to your local agrarian filename extension agent .
2. Guard Water Against Freezing
frosting formation in water system troughs and pail is ahuge worryin the winter . What ’s your lachrymation design ? You might need to consider bucket warmers and till heater . If it does n’t typically get below freeze where you are , still be after to check piddle on a regular basis . A corollary to this item is considering the layout of your pastures and paddock . Are there low damp spots that might become icy ? Will this prevent access or create difficult entree to water trough or hay in the field ?
3. Make Minor Repairs to Barns and Other Structures
If you ’ve avoid doctor a rickety logic gate or poor man of fencing , now ’s the sentence to do it before the weather plow to unworkable conditions . For older social structure , think retard the roof if you get a tidy sum of snow in your domain . Roof fall in in barn are commonly preventable tragedies .
4. Check and MendBlankets
Some stock , including senior farm animate being , newborn infant and some horses , need a little surplus helper in the wintertime , and a blanket is central when you winterise . If any of your animals use a blanket , now ’s the sentence to shake the coats out , attend to any venial repairs , reapply waterproofing , and jibe the blanket ’ fit . Any rub spots should be caught and adjustment made now before they become outright sores afterwards in the time of year .
5. Inspect Shelters in the Field
widely open pastures are normally fine places to keep livestock in the winter , but dampness and single - digit wind chills can be tough . A windbreak or political campaign - in shed are great shoes for livestock to escape the elements . If your pasture has a run - in , inspect it before severe weather strikes . Are there any broken boards or exposed nails ? How is the ground and drain deep down ? Make any minor fix now .
6. Maintain Proper Barn Ventilation
It is very tempting to close up the barn in an attempt to make a snug shelter , but air quality in such a space quickly becomes a wellness issue . junk from bedding , hay and stalk are strong airline irritants for animals , not to mention ammonia from urine buildup . attempt to keep some windows assailable if your fauna are inwardly during the winter months .
