How Kansas ranchers keep their cattle warm in winter weather

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Kansas ranchers have of myriad of things they do to keep their cattle warm in winter weather.

KSN talked to Scarlett Madinger, the vice president of Communications for the Kansas Livestock Association, to learn just what those things are.

She says two things are food and water.

“So some of those things have been changing their feeding rations, and so what they would need to do is include feed that would increase the energy that the cattle have, and basically what that will do is make sure that the cattle produce enough heat, body heat that helps them to stay warm,” said Madinger. “And so they may add in different things that will cause them to have more energy and that may be like high-quality hay and things like that so that the cattle can create more energy and they may retain more body heat.”

Madinger says ranchers will also go out and bust ice, whether it be on a pond or water tank, to make sure the cattle have access to fresh water.

She says another thing is bedding.

“They may put down bedding so like straw if you will, so that will create a barrier between them and the ground so that when they lay down, there’s that barrier that allows them to be warmer,” said Madinger.

She says the few farmers that have barns to fit their cattle will put them there, while most will put them in fields that have windbreaks.

“They may put up windbreaks or move them to a pasture that has natural windbreaks, which may be a line of trees, could be man-made like a structure that they’ve put up for a windbreak,” said Madinger.

Madinger says cattle acclimate to the cold really well.

“As temperatures start to cool down, they start putting on more hair to acclimate to that,” said Madinger. “They can do well as long as they are given the proper nutrition and access to water and provided some extra things.”

She also says ranchers are prepared.

“Really, the only thing I would say is because ranchers are really attuned to monitor the weather and the weather conditions, that’s something they do every day, really 365 days of the year, they have been preparing for this ahead of time so that they are ready when it hits and that their cattle are ready and prepared when it hits so that they are sure that their cattle are maintained and kept healthy and safe throughout however long this cold front will stay,” said Madinger.