Whitney said the cows grow a winter hair coat that helps keep them warm. Ranchers put out more feed, or supplement hay with energy rich grains to help their animals cope. They also use a variety of pumps or heaters to keep their livestock's water supply from freezing. The cold weather is usually harder on a rancher's bottom line than on the animals, Whitney said. In colder weather the animals use food energy to keep warm instead of converting it to muscle.
Ranchers have to feed their animals more just to maintain their herd's weight.
If you are trying to put weight on your cows or improve their condition, it will be a lot harder in temperatures like this than in the last two winters when the temperatures were mild. Whitney said that, for every degree below 20 above, a cow needs 1 percent more feed to maintain its rate of growth. It's just an uphill battle. If there is strong winds during cold weather, the cattle will seek shelter behind a windbreak instead of feeding, so they will lose weight and cost the rancher more money. Whitney said heavy snow is harder on livestock than cold weather.