News

Preparing for more winter weather

As Midwesterners prepare for another blast of wicked winter weather, farmers are working hard to make sure their animals have the proper conditions to battle the elements.

Veterinarian Dr. Marybeth Feutz of Princeton Veterinary Hospital says the three most important things for animals in this kind of weather are food, water, and shelter.

She says food is obviously important – especially for those grazing animals.  “If they’re used to having access to pasture right now or hay or other forage that’s spread on the ground, once that forage gets snowed on they may not be able to get to it anymore,” she says.  “It will be really important that they have access to hay or other food that they’ll actually be able to get to.”

Feutz tells Brownfield keeping water from freezing can be a challenge.  And with these bitterly cold temperatures, tanks need to be checked at least once, if not two to three times a day.  “There are submersible heaters and heated water troughs that are available to help reduce the freezing of the water,” she says.  “Those are great things to invest in, especially as we get into couple of weeks of sub-freezing temperatures.”

When it comes to shelter, she says a wind break is going to be absolutely essential to protecting outside animals from wind and blowing snow.  “If you can provide them with some sort of three-sided shed or some sort of roof that they can get under to keep them out of the rain and snow,” she says.  “But to definitely have a spot where they can get away from the wind is going to be most important.”

These rules apply, she says, to our outdoor pets, too.

But, for those animals that are primarily indoors and aren’t exposed to the elements, ensuring their ventilation systems are working properly becomes the biggest concern Feutz says, so that air quality in the buildings in maintained.

AUDIO: Marybeth Feutz, Princeton Veterinary (5:00mp3)