Brrrr It's Cold!!!

Have you ever wondered how cattle stay warm in frigid temperatures? Well, here's your chance to learn how! The secret involves three things: hair (called a "coat"), body condition and food intake. Cows are built to be outside animals, in other words, they have a coat that is designed to keep them warm in low temperatures. A thick coat does a great job of keeping a cow warm, especially if her coat is dry. In addition, a cow's body condition will determine if the extreme temperatures affect her. If a cow is in good shape, i.e. she's not too skinny or too fat, her stored fat will help to keep her warm. Food is also important to keeping a cow warm in extreme temperatures. When a cow's coat and body condition don't keep her warm enough on their own, she will begin to eat more and use the food consumed to create energy, which translates to warmth. Our cattle receive hay as necessary. This morning they were happy, healthy and hoping for some treats/feed, AKA they were friendly! This evening they were very curious and even licked my hand! Enjoy the pictures and the video of trying to convince them to perform on demand and lick my hand again.