As cold temperatures drop one St. Joseph Business is looking towards cattle herds.

BioZyme® Inc. said cold temperatures significantly raises energy requirements for cows. The animal nutrition company said undeveloped winter hair coats, wet hides and wind all combine to magnify this increase in energy requirements. It said the combination of calving cows and colder environmental conditions can easily result in producers not providing enough feed energy and cows losing weight.

“The bottom line is, early cold stress can result in a snowball effect if left unchecked. Keeping cows in good condition in fall and early winter ultimately helps insulate cows and minimize the amount of feed required later in the winter season,” said Kevin Glaubius, BioZyme® Inc. Director of Nutrition and Technical Sales. “Now is the time to take an honest evaluation of body condition and match your feeding program to the needs of your cows.”

The company suggests producers feed higher quality hay with more energy, feed cattle a supplement that improves digestibility of their feed, move cows to locations with protection from the wind and wet weather, and match animal nutrition requirements to the quality of forage.