Winter Management in your Cow Herd

Winter management for your cow herd should not be centered only on the winter months.

Cattle farmers in Mississippi are busy plowing fields and planting their winter forages, preparing for the cold winter ahead.  By now dry-matter forage supplements such as hay, balayage, and silage have also been stored for feed preparations.  These forage precautions are necessary for maintaining cows through the winter as they produce for their calves, and also to ensure their Body Condition Scores (BCS) are adequate for rebreeding. 

            A BCS of 6 is an adequate score for cows entering the winter months.  To help cattle maintain health and body condition during the winter, the following topics should be addressed:

- Vaccinations

- Parasite Population/Deworming

- Forage varieties

- Trace-minerals

The importance of BCS is often underestimated by producers.  Dr. Ron Skinner, a DVM and seedstock producer, says about 70% of open cows in Montana each year are a result of inadequate fall nutrition.    

            The most important factor that affects your winter management is matching the cow to the environment and your management style.  Breeds, climate, and soil type are factors that should be evaluated also.  Cows that need additional feed to perform under normal standards should be culled from the herd. 

            Furth more, BCS of your cow pre-winter, environment, proper forage preparation, and management styles are the main topics that need to be evaluated, seasons prior to winter, in order to ensure proper winter management.