In the News - March 2008
Weather difficult for Arkansas cattle producers
LITTLE ROCK - The ups and downs of late winter and spring-like weather have
made things difficult for Arkansas beef cattle producers.
"The weather the last month or two has been unpredictable," said Dr. Tom Troxel, professor/associate animal science department head for the University of
Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service. "In any given
week, many parts of the state have experienced daytime highs in the upper 60s
with bright sunshiny days followed by a drop in temperatures to the 40s with a
cold rain or snow."
This becomes a problem for producers because March is when many cattle
producers are reaching the end of their hay supplies. Many times, producers will
feed their best quality hay during the colder months of the winter to maintain
their cows’ body condition. However, much of the hay remaining in barns is of
lesser quality, Troxel said.
This can become a problem for about 75 percent of the nearly one million beef
cows in Arkansas that calve between January and April. A cow’s nutrient
requirements increase at this time, but unfortunately for producers, they’re
either out of hay at this time or have lower quality hay left, Troxel said.
Cattle performance can be negatively affected because of the ups and downs of
the recent Arkansas weather. Add to that the high cost of hay and feed, and
producers face economic losses.
Troxel said cold weather stimulates cows’ appetites by 3 percent to 8 percent
because they want to eat more to stay warm. If producers don’t adjust their
herd’s feeding program to meet their extra needs, the animals will mobilize
their fat reserves.
"Since most of our cows calve this time of year, now is not the time you want
them to lose body condition," he said. "Cows in poor body condition produce less
milk than normal, and it takes them longer to rebreed for next year’s calf crop.
"In essence, it affects production for two years. Because cows will breed
later in 2008, their 2009 calves will have lower weaning weights," Troxel said.
Extreme weather swings can severely stress cows and their calves. Cows and
calves can absorb radiation from the sun in the daytime, and they’ll get can
along fine on a sunny day, even if it’s below freezing. The problem is when the
sky is cloudy with cold, wet and windy conditions. Rain is worse than snow.
In this weather pattern, newborn calves can get chilled and die, Troxel
noted.
If calves are chilled, he said, move them out of the weather. Often, a calf
can be warmed by rubbing the animals down with a towel, which stimulates
circulation. Producers may have to use a heat lamp to help animals recover.
It’s critical in this period that calves have access to colostrum to
strengthen their immune systems, according to Troxel.
Colostrum, the first milk a calf gets from its mother, is full of antibodies,
which help keep a calf healthy. Research suggests good quality colostrum helps
keep a calf healthy throughout its lifetime. If necessary, producers must
provide an artificial source of colostrum.
For more information on how to manage beef cows, contact your county
extension agent or visit www.uaex.edu and select
Agriculture, then Beef. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A
Division of Agriculture.
March 21, 2008
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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