A couple of cows

[Sheepwheat]

Wondering seeing as we are already tied down with animals. Should I get a couple cows to raise our own beef? Only problem I see is no winter water system. Can cows eat snow?

[woodland]

Wondering seeing as we are already tied down with animals. Should I get a couple cows to raise our own beef? Only problem I see is no winter water system. Can cows eat snow?

Ours will walk a half mile easily in the winter to drink water instead of snow. That tells me although they can eat snow they prefer water and cows are very lazy or efficient depending on how you view things😉

What do you do for water in the corrals or yard? Bred cows are cheap if you got feed right now……….

[Herc]

I looked at this article couple months back.

https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/beef/pubs/bjb05s21.pdf

[Blaithin]

Never say no to cows. So many options and so much they can do! Plus, yum.

They can eat snow, most would prefer, and do better, with water.

I’m also curious what sort of water you have in the yard?

I only have a 250 gallon Rubbermaid near the well head. Turn the pump on once or twice a day, depending how many head I have, and they’re good. Use a floating de icer to keep it open. Doesn’t have to be an automatic installed Ritchie thing.

After reading your WP article Id like to put forward my main method of cattle as a fun contender. I have a handful of nurse cows that raise me multiple calves a year. Enough to eat, some to sell and I still get baby calves without being tied to bottle feeding for months. Cons are they would need good water sources Lol, as well as access to a bull or AI, and generally higher quality food than normal.

[WiltonRanch]

Cows eat snow if they’re wintering. If you’re fattening some calves or calving water is best. Our cows pick until they come in to calve. Everyone has their ideas but if they have adequate easy to eat snow they will do fine.

[blackjack]

All of the above

[shtferbrains]

All kinds of if's and but's. IMHO the short answer is no if you dont want to be herding cows home whe the neighbors phone.

[Sheepwheat]

I have two ancient automatic water bowls. A hydrant at the barn. But the waterlines have a leak somewhere and so I need to dig em all up to find it and fix it, or run new lines?

Shallow well and dugout are plumbed to the bowls. I’m not sure the two cows would pay for the water system overhaul.

In summer, sheep use ponds out on pasture, and later in summer I haul dugout water on a trailer which is fine. Winter they eat snow.

Regarding neighbors and such. I build good fences. If the sheep can’t get out, no way a cow will. I would trust my fences to wild crazed bison.

[TSIPP]

Cows need watering once a day. Snow works but my cows usually don’t see enough snow, south sask isn’t very white yet maybe tomorrow morning.

[Happytrails]

Sheep it shouldn't cost a lot to R and/or R the water lines. No operating costs unless you want the use the system in winter. If you do even your sheep might develop a drinking habit!

[shtferbrains]

If your planing to make a living raising livestock you might think about a reliable well placed system for watering.
With snow your always depending on getting the weather you want.
Something your going to do sooner or later.
Sooner is always better. Less worry.

[Blaithin]

Can tell who lives in places with unreliable snow cover 😂

The horses definitely needed water this year. They ran out of snow a couple of times.

[Sheepwheat]

Can tell who lives in places with unreliable snow cover 😂

The horses definitely needed water this year. They ran out of snow a couple of times.

Ha. We have never in history not had reliable snow cover. The worst is always the shoulder season. When it freezes up, but doesn’t snow for a bit. That is unusual though here.

Part of the problem I have setting up a central water system, is that our pasture is planned to be flexible, in that once all our land is fenced, the critters will be moved all over creation. That is the reason I want to stay with a mobile water system.

The research article about cows and snow was encouraging to me, and eye opening for sure. Looks like it can be done with zero affect on production etc.

Thanks all for input of course.

[Blaithin]

Affect on production depends on the cow. Dairy cows and freshly lactating beef cows need water. Weaned calves need water.

Dry, fatty beef cows and bulls, ok on snow.

I personally wouldn’t be to worried about a winterized portable system but do find one winterized, permanent source very handy. Good for any hospital pen needs and the dogs and cats and little birds enjoy it.

Growing up the cows regularly walked 1/4 to 1/2 mile one way to get water. They were fed out in various pastures and could make the treck in to the corrals for a drink as that’s where the two waterers capable of winter functioning were. Did each one do it every day? Probably not, but they could still get it whenever they wanted.

I would argue with that article that the feed:gain ratio of 10:1 and 8:1 for the calves aren’t significant. That’s half way to feedlot gains of 6:1 which is touted as a superior standard. Almost all tools marketed today are to improve feed conversion. Implants, ionophores… why would we invest in those if something as simple as supplying water can increase the conversion from 10 to 8, but it isn’t actually significant? These studies on conversion and gain are a big driving force for beef farmers to fence off riparian areas and pump water out into troughs as calves with access to the same water, without having to go down to the source to get it, are proven to drink more and gain/perform better.