Transition Cattle Inside For Winter

A  number of factors must be considered when moving dairy heifers or beef cattle inside for the winter after being outside for part or all of the summer season. The type of housing needed will depend on the enterprise and purpose of the animal. Most farms have facilities or systems already in place. Cattle may stay outside in cold weather, or need minimal shelter, except when calving. Trees may not be enough. A three-sided shelter open to the south may suffice.

 

In the November 2015 Wisconsin Agriculturist article Transition cattle inside for winter, UW-Extension Burnett, Washburn and Sawyer Counties Agriculture Agent Otto Wiegand shares the criteria for ideal winter housing.

 

 

Video: 2026 T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science - Dan Weary

T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science: "Using science to assess and improve the welfare of dairy cattle"

Dan Weary is a Professor at the University of British Columbia. Dan did his BSc and MSc at McGill and Doctorate at Oxford before co-founding UBC’s Animal Welfare Program where he now co-directs this active research group. His research focuses on understanding the perspectives of animals and applying these insights to develop methods of assessing animal welfare and improving the lives of animals. His work has helped drive changes in practices (including the adoption of higher milk rations for calves and pain management for disbudding) and housing methods (including the adoption of social housing for pre-weaned calves). He also studies cow comfort and lameness, social interactions among cows, and interactions between cows, human handlers and technologies like automated millking systems that are increasingly used on farms. His presentation will outline key questions in cattle welfare, highlight recent UBC research addressing them, and showcase innovative methods for improving the lives of cattle and their caretakers.