Can Grassfed Beef Cattle Graze In The Snow?
Grassfed Beef Cattle are growing in popularity with consumers due to the many benefits they offer, including; improved animal welfare, regenerating soil life, and healthier meat. However, many people assume that grass fed cattle can only graze during the warmer months of the year, and that they need to be fed hay or other supplements during the winter when there is snow on the ground.
Tyner Pond Grassfed Beef Winter Grazing
The truth is, Grassfed cattle can graze in the winter, even with snow on the ground. Here are a few reasons why:
- Cattle are well-adapted to cold weather. Cattle are ruminants, which means they have a specialized digestive system that allows them to digest tough, fibrous plants, such as grass. This also means that they are well-suited to survive in cold climates. They have a thick layer of fat and a thick coat of hair that helps to keep them warm in the winter.
- Snow can actually be beneficial for grazing grassfed cattle. When snow falls, it can act as a insulator, keeping the grass underneath it from freezing. This means that the grass will still be available for the cattle to eat, even when the temperature drops below freezing.
- Cattle can find food even when it is covered by snow. Cattle have a good sense of smell, which allows them to locate food even when it is covered by snow. They will use their snout to dig through the snow to find the grass underneath.
Although we do supplement with hay, is not necessary for healthy cattle. Many farmers assume that they need to only feed their cattle hay during the winter, but this is not always necessary. If the cattle are able to find enough grass to eat under the snow, they do not need the additional hay. This comes down to careful management during the growing months to protect winter stockpile. We discussed this in a
previous post.
Grassfed Beef cattle can also be rotated to different pastures. If certain areas are too snowy, our farmers can rotate the cattle to different pastures where the snow is less deep, or where there is less snow on the ground. This allows the cattle to continue grazing throughout the winter, where we have enough winter stockpile.
Grassfed Beef Cattle can graze in the winter, even with snow on the ground. They are well-adapted to cold weather, and snow can actually be beneficial for grazing. With the right management practices in place, such as rotating to different pastures and preserving stockpile in the growing months, our farmers can ensure that their cattle have enough to eat throughout the winter.
To keep our regenerative Grassfed Beef farm growing we buy calves from other like minded farmers. This encourages more and more conventional farmers of begin down the regenerative path. To do this we ask your help. In addition to purchasing our meat, you can also help by contributing to our Calf Rescue Efforts..
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