Winter................ Pasture cows

[hitnspit]

I have seen cattle be pastured all winter long. They are beef cattle and i have been told that it fine as long as you have plenty of water for them and feed also. My question is what about the snow and the cold. I have asked about cows with snow all over them and was told thats a good sign. That means the heat is being held in the body kinda like a house and its roof. SO i do have a hilly pasture with a river runs through it. What are your thoughts and is there anyone on here that does this.....jim

 

[redtailgal]

Our cattle are pastured all winter. They have trees to get under, and a pole shed if they need it. They rarely use the shed, but will lay in the trees often. I've seen them laying in the field with snow on their backs.

We dont grain them even in the winter, but we feed a good hay to them, as much as they can eat, and always have fresh water available to them.

 

[Alice Acres]

We don't have any cattle now, but I grew up raising them (we had a 1/2 holstein, 1/2 angus cow who we bred and then got her a foster calf as well, as her holstein side had enough milk for 2 - Molly was a great mom!)...and have had our own beef steers over the years as well.

Ours have barn or shed (south side open barn or pole barns) access, but never were locked in except maybe overnight occasionally in the most severe weather (in MN). They usually hang out outdoors, or lay in the doorways soaking up the sun on a brisk winter day.

 

[WildRoseBeef]

I have no idea where you live hitnspit, but up here ("Northern" Alberta, Canada) we raised our beef steers out in the open with only a windbreak fence and a south-facing lean-to shed to take shelter in, and a couple hills of manure. We get some nasty winter storms up here but the animals do just fine, as long as they have straw to lay in and feed to eat. We've always kept water available, but they can lick snow too.

Besides, the barn that we have is much too small to house 90 head of cattle without crowding them quite a bit.

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

Our cattle stay out 24/7, 365 days. They come in to eat as we keep a couple round bales in a 3 wall barn for them and on occassion, our wimpy Jerseys come in to get out of the rain. But other than that, they are outside in the Maine winters without a problem.

 

[hitnspit]

thanks for the info people. I live in Vermont so i think im good.....jim

 

[Cricket]

Hi, I'm from VT, too. You may want to check state law on shelter requirements--if I remember correctly, beef cattle are the only critter that legally doesn't need one. We've always had a 3 sided barn that faces south and has a track door. My horse and cows use it mostly in the summer and prefer to be outside in the winter. The only time I shut them in is when we're having rain followed by a drastic cold snap. We shut off our hay fields and good pasture for the winter so that they don't get churned into a mud hole, but they still have a lot of room to wander--boredom not a good thing in the spring!

It drives people NUTS to see cows outside with snow on them, despite the fact that they're free to stay in a barn and are obviously fat and happy--just to forewarn you!