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Farm Cows in Winter: How to Take Care of Your Farm Cows

Discover expert tips and tricks on ensuring the well-being of your farm cows during the chilly winter months. Learn about shelter, nutrition, and other essential aspects to keep your bovine buddies happy and healthy! Winter can be a tough time for everyone, including our beloved farm cows. These gentle giants provide us with milk, meat, and companionship year-round, and it's our responsibility to make sure they stay warm, well-fed, and content during the frosty season. So, "How to take care of Farm Cows in the winter?" you ask? Fear not, because we've got you covered! In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the nitty-gritty details of ensuring the comfort and health of your cows when the snow starts falling. From shelter to nutrition, we've got all the answers! The Importance of Proper Winter Care Before we dive into the specifics of cow care during winter, let's understand why it's crucial. Just like us, cows can be affected by the cold weather, and neglecting their needs during this season can have serious consequences: Reduced Milk Production: Cows may produce less milk if they're uncomfortable or stressed due to extreme cold. Weight Loss: Cold weather requires cows to burn more energy to stay warm, potentially leading to weight loss. Frostbite and Illness: Cows are susceptible to frostbite, respiratory issues, and other health problems if not properly cared for. Now that we're clear on the why, let's get into the how! Providing Adequate Shelter A Cozy Barn One of the first steps in ensuring your cows' well-being during winter is to provide them with a warm and cozy barn. Here's how to make their shelter top-notch: Insulation is Key: Make sure your barn is well-insulated to keep the cold out. Proper insulation helps maintain a comfortable temperature inside. Ventilation Matters: While insulation is crucial, don't forget about ventilation. Proper airflow prevents moisture buildup, which can lead to respiratory issues. Dry Bedding: Ensure the cows have a clean, dry bedding area. Straw or hay works wonders for insulation and comfort. Space Consideration: Make sure there's enough space for each cow to lie down comfortably without crowding. Windbreaks and Shades In addition to the barn, consider installing windbreaks and shades in the outdoor areas. These protect your cows from biting winds and provide some respite from the winter sun. Keeping Them Well-Fed Adjusting the Diet Cow nutrition is essential year-round, but during winter, their dietary needs change. Here's what you should keep in mind: Increase Calories: Cows need more calories to [...]

By |2024-01-15T10:46:34+00:00January 6th, 2024|Cows, Farm|0 Comments
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Puyallup Spring Fair, WA 2019

The Puyallup Spring Fair starts on April 11th and runs thru the 14th. This is a pre-fair interview with Stacy Van Horne, Public Relations Manager. We talk a bit about the history of the fair, fair foods and what there is for kids and seniors to do. There is a lot of work that goes into putting this fair up and a lot of imagination. The have The Farm at Sillyville - which is a rather unique idea and very cool.  There is Creative Kids Entertainment and Brad's World Reptile Show, and BBQ Playoffs.  There are also Fireworks on Friday and Saturday evening. There is a KidZone and a Stunt Show. In Expo Hall they have too. This fair has a lot of everything. It makes you wonder how exactly it differs from the Washington State Fair that is later in the season.  Stacy and I talk about that. They are also known especially for Motorsports and Monster Trucks. The fair takes place on the Washington State Fairgrounds.                 ********************************************************************

By |2019-04-09T01:07:02+00:00April 9th, 2019|Washington State Fair, Fair Food, Podcast, Puyallup Spring Fair|0 Comments
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Types of Domestic Sheep

Sheep are small ruminants closely related to the goat that are raised mainly for their wool as well as for food. Worldwide, there are over a thousand breeds of sheep according to the Food & Agriculture Organization. In the USA, the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) has identified 47 unique breeds of domestic sheep. The ASI has further categorized these domestic breeds into six types, namely the ‘meat breeds,’ the ‘fine wool breeds,’ the ‘long wool breeds,’ the ‘dual purpose breeds,’ the ‘hair breeds,’ and the ‘minor breeds.’ Most sheep and lambs in American farms and ranches are of the meat breed variety which are raised primarily for the production of meat, or of the dual-purpose kind which are kept for both meat and wool production. There are 11 meat breeds of sheep under the ASI classification, namely the Cheviot, the Dorset, the Hampshire, the Montadale, the North Country Cheviot, the Oxford, the Shropshire, the Southdown, the Suffolk, the Texel and the Tunis. On the other hand there are 8 dual purpose breeds, namely the American Miniature Brecknock, the Columbia, the Corriedale, the East Friesian, the Finnsheep, the Panama, the Polypay, and the Targhee. Sheep meat is either ‘mutton,’ if it comes from mature sheep, or ‘lamb,’ if it is from sheep not older than one year. Sheep grow both hair and wool fibers although hair breeds have more hair fibers than woolly fibers. They also tend to shed their coats annually and usually do not require shearing, crutching, or docking. There are 7 hair breeds and they are the Barbados Blackbelly and American Blackbelly, the California Reds, the Dorper, the Katahdin, the Romanov, the Royal White Sheep, and the St. Croix. There are two general types of hair sheep in the United State: "improved" and "unimproved". The unimproved breeds tend to be indigenous sheep breeds that have adapted well to the local environment in which they evolved like the Barbados Blackbelly and the St. Croix.  The improved hair breeds on the other hand are crosses between regular hair breeds and wooled meat breeds. Examples include the Dorper, the Katahdin and the Royal White Sheep. Fine wool sheep produce wool fibers with a very small fiber diameter, usually 20 microns or less. There are 5 fine wool breeds in the USA, namely the American Cormo, the Booroola Merino, the Debouillet, the Delaine-Merino, and the Rambouillet. In comparison, long wool sheep produce long-stapled wool with a large fiber diameter, usually greater than 30 microns. There are 7 long wool breeds [...]

By |2017-07-03T02:09:51+00:00February 7th, 2014|Sheep, Wool|1 Comment
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Large Government Hand Outs for Corporate Mega Farms.

This is the fiscal cliff bill and it is part of balancing the federal budget. The House of Representatives is trying to cut subsidies to the largest and most profitable farm business. This would be the best way to relive budget pressure that threatens organic and local farming, conservation and anti-hunger aid. A lot of today's industrial commodity farms are seeing large profits. These big agricultural farms are trying to get more government hand outs. "Dollars wasted on bloated subsidy payments will not be available to grow more organic food and protect vital nutrition programs for unemployed and low-income Americans" Tell Congress to say NO to this. Go here and email your congressperson.

By |2016-10-23T11:34:36+00:00December 11th, 2012|Farm|0 Comments
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What about the FFA?

What is the FFA? At one time it was an organization just for farmers. Listen to me as I interview with Riley Branch, National FFA Organization, Western Region Vice President. About what the FFA is and what it does today. NOTE: the podcast is about this convention October 21 National FFA Convention, Indianapolis, State Fairgrounds West, Toyota Blue Ribbon, Champions, Pioneer Our Land & Northwest Pavilions, Toyota Exposition Hall, Ag/Hort Building & Grand Hall Information: Jim Armbruster (317) 802-4334 Convention 2015 takes place in Louisville, Kentucky

By |2019-04-27T23:40:07+00:00September 27th, 2009|Farm, Event, Indiana|0 Comments
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A Time for the Animals

Time For The Animals Even as a cloud of savagery, evidenced by the misfortunes of war, hangs over our world, humanity has lately begun to demonstrate an astonishing degreee of civility in at least one very important respect, that being the manner in which we treat our animals - specifically, the animals we raise for food. In just the last few months, unprecedented strides have been taken in this country to improve the welfare of pigs, cattle, chickens, and ducks who've been forced for many years to endure miserable and agonizing lives Time For The Animals. Granted, the bulk of these efforts still lies ahead of us, but first steps have, unequivocally, been taken - steps which only a short time ago wouldn't have been thought to be so quickly achieved. A Time for the Animals I guess it all began in August of last year when the foie gras ban was enacted in Chicago Time For The Animals. Who'd have thought, huh? While California's 2004 ban on production wouldn't actually go into effect until 2012, the Chicago law was designed to take effect almost immediately. Of course, it was ballyhooed, scoffed at, derided. Even the city's mayor called it the "silliest" law the city council had ever passed, but detractors notwithstanding, the statute was on the books. And in March of this year, we were shown that even a silly law could be enforced when the first citation was handed down, a guilty plea entered, and the fine paid. Like I said, who'd have thought? Then came Arizona's Proposition 204, designed to do away with caged imprisonment of pigs and veal calves and approved overwhelmingly by the state's voters. Though Florida had passed a similar law in 2002, it was the Arizona bill which grabbed our nation's attention, prompting forecasts of even more initiatives forthcoming in a number of other states - possibly as soon as 2008 Time For The Animals. The biggest and most recent gains, however, have come from the corporate community. Following in the footsteps of grocery retailers like Whole Foods, Wild Oats, and Trader Joe's, as well as Internet icons AOL and Google, ice cream manufacturer Ben and Jerry's announced in September of 2006 its intention to adopt a cage free policy for its entire product line. Then, in January of 2007, Burgerville, with a chain of popular restaurants in the Northwest, also officially turned its back on battery cage eggs. In late January, Smithfield, the nation's largest producer of pork, began [...]

By |2024-03-27T15:30:51+00:00May 10th, 2007|Animals|0 Comments
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