Keeping farm animals safe in cold temperatures

LAWRENCE COUNTY, Mo. - As frigid temperatures grip the region, farmers and ranchers are taking extra care to protect their cattle from the extreme cold.

While being able to keep cattle indoors is nice, cattleman Nathan Isakson says that isn't always possible and the key to keeping cattle warm in the cold conditions is in their diet.

"They are very efficient at digestion and that digestion produces heat. It's kind of like feeding a furnace. So, if we will keep them fed appropriately, we can actually help them weather these temperatures," says Isakson.

Isakson has over 40 cattle that live on his farm in Lawrence County, he tells Ozarksfirst that his day-to-day can change when the temperature drops, but issues are avoided with preparation.

"If there is a problem today, we can fix it much easier right now, than we can tomorrow, when it's going to be 12 degrees," says Isakson.

Rescue One animal shelter in Springfield primarily deals with dogs and cats, but Michele Rehkop says the organization will get calls about farm animals living in dangerously cold conditions.

"Sometimes there's just not adequate shelter for some of these animals. And a lot of times water is something that people forget about, that it will freeze and then the animals don't have a water source," says Rehkop.

A cow will drink up to 50 gallons of water a day according to Isackson, so making sure his cattle have access to the water is a top priority.

"If we can keep them drinking out of a hole that we chop out of a pond or in a creek somewhere, then that generally stays thawed out. Most of the time, I break in the morning or night," says Isakson.

Rescue One tells Ozarksfirst that there is a strong need for winter equipment, you can find a link to that here.