Looking After Your Livestock This Winter

As the temperature cools and winter rolls in, it’s time to start evaluating your winter-care routine for your livestock. The chilly season brings many inconveniences along with it, but our range of essential winter veterinary supplies will make it much easier to handle. Below, we discuss our top tips for looking after your livestock this winter.

Windbreakers

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s crucial to protect your herd from cold winds and rain. This can be done in several ways, from moving your herd into a well-ventilated barn to supplying blankets, anything that can be used to break the wind will help your livestock maintain their body temperature. If you have an open-barn, it may be time to install some mesh windbreaker panels, to keep the chilling wind off your herd. Providing appropriate shelter from the wind and rain will make the harsh conditions a lot easier on your animals, helping them hold onto their body heat.

Adjust Feeding Routine

Though livestock are resilient, it takes a little extra nutrition to help them maintain a warm body temperature for winter. Using good quality feed (and increasing feeding when needed) ensures that they maintain a warm body temperature. Make sure that you have enough feed to get your herd through winter—plus a bit extra.

Rotating feeding locations minimises the mud being spread around feeding areas and feeding in the late afternoon maximises body temperature through the night. Good nutrition provides your livestock with the strength to get through the coldest parts of the season, so adjusting your feeding schedule benefits your herd.

Get into a Cleaning Routine

With your livestock spending more time under shelter, it is important to increase cleaning. Pigs, horses, and cows produce a lot of mess, and daily cleanings through winter are generally needed to keep them healthy. Other livestock, such as chickens, goats, and sheep, require cleaning less often, as they generally keep their living areas on the cleaner side. Clearing manure and wet bedding frequently will ensure your animals have clean, healthy living conditions to get through winter.

Keep Them Active

Though there’ll be less movement on your farm throughout the winter, it’s important to maintain exercise within your herd. Make sure there’s enough space for your animals to move and get the exercise they require. To make things much easier for yourself and your herd, avoid transporting and exercising in spaces with waterways and significant mud. Avoiding wet areas will minimise mess and help your herd stay a bit warmer.

Stock up on Essential Winter Products

Feel like you’ve got your winter routine sorted? Check out our range of products to ensure that you have everything your farm needs to survive the harsh season. We stock everything from antihistamine for animals to veterinary calcium supplements, to provide you with all the necessary veterinary supplies to keep your animals well and healthy over winter.