Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn says the cold weather has been a danger to new-born calves and other livestock. She says it’s common for farmers to take extraordinary measures to see that calves are kept as comfortable as possible.
“I’ve seen many pictures on social media here in the last two weeks of farmers bringing those new-born calves into their houses and into their bathtubs,” Chinn tells Brownfield Ag News.
Some cattlemen who are calving now find it especially hard if they don’t have barns or other livestock shelters, says Chinn.
“They have to use their hay that they’re hoping to use for feed to lay out for bedding for them to try and help keep them warm and give them a comfortable place,” she says. “So, it’s a huge challenge.”
The other challenge, according to Chinn, is driving on ice-covered roads to get feed to livestock.
By Tom Steever of Brownfield Ag News for America
