For Immediate Release
Contact: Katie Glass, Executive Director of Marketing/Public Information Officer
Phone: 608.822.2411
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: December 19, 2016
Southwest Tech in the News: It’s Cold outside, just ask your livestock
Jeff Dornick Interview on the Wisconsin Farm Report
Fennimore -Jeff Dornick Interview on the Farm Report with Pam Jahnke.
Interviewed by Southwest Tech graduate, Bryant Gill.
It’s cold out there and nobody really wants to be out in it longer than they have to but as livestock producers many Wisconsites have to brave the elements because there animals count of them.
Jeff Dornick a livestock nutrition and care expert who teaches at Southwest Tech joined graduate Bryant Gill to talk about cold weather nutrition and livestock. Dornick says that we feed our livestock for two reasons maintenance and production. When it comes to maintenance this is the part of the ration that just keeps the animal healthy, no additional weight gain and no extra calories to help make milk or develop babies, in other words this feed or this portion of the ration just keeps the animal alive. When it comes to production portion of the ration, extra calories are needed to keep dairy cows producing milk, beef cows growing calves, chicken laying eggs and other livestock like horses strong and ready to take on extra chores.
When the temperatures turn brutal cold those animals need extra calories as their bodies are using more energy just to stay warm, and in order to keep them on track and not see a drop in production rations or the animal’s diets must be changed.
Keep in mind that nutritionists and individuals like Jeff Dornick at Southwest Tech are available to help you match your animal rations to their needs all year round.
Hear Bryant Gill and Livestock Managment and Livestock Nutrition Expert Jeff Dornick’s full conversation by following this link:
http://www.fabulousfarmbabe.net/2016/12/15/its-cold-outside-just-ask-your-livestock/
“Its most important just to keep the animals dry, no matter what the species of livestock, dry animals are most likely easier to keep healthy. Beef cows on the pasture or corn stalks are just fine as long as they can get out of the wind; hogs prefer straw packs to snuggle into, while chickens and smaller animals could use a little additional heat from a heat lamp. Dairy cows actually like cold weather just want to be dry.Maybe the most important thing to keep your livestock healthy this winter is to keep lots of clean water in front of your livestock, water is the largest limiting factor in their health as all the top quality feed in the world is worthless if the animals won’t eat it.”