Out wintering cattle

Icelandicseige

Many people do it?
How do cattle fair on different crops example kale?

CloughCasey1

Icelandicseige wrote: »

Many people do it?
How do cattle fair on different crops example kale?

I will have 10 approx out this winter. have feeding barrier onto concrete section with good fall away from barriers. 1 acre plot with hazel and trees in an arc on four sides with loads of shelter on warm limestone land. Yearling stock and unless weather is terrible altogether they will be far happier out. Saying that it there was room in the shed they would be in as that would have me happier.😊

High bike

Agree totally if cattle have shelter and a dry spot to lie down and well fed they'r happier and healthier outside

carrollsno1

A she's shed is only for the man not the beast

KatyMac

All mine are out-wintered. Land has plenty of shelter with blackthorn hedges, small bit of woodland and a hill that always has a side facing away from the worst of the weather. I feed in round feeders in a garden with good firm footing. Only time anything is in a shed is if they are sick or calving. Later on I will be bringing the first due cows to nearer home and they will have access to a shed where they come and go as they want - works well. They are all as tough as old boots, even the youngest calves.

selectamatic

Depends on the breed as well, we'd out winter about half our stock and the native breeds normally tend to fair best (Angus in our case). That said charolais or limo's raised in testing conditions aren't half as soft as some would make out.

Plenty of shelter and silage ad lib and cattle are happy out and hit ground running next spring in terms of thrive.

A drawn out period of torrential rain can fast undo any advantages to out wintering though.
Case in point last winter along the Western side of Ireland.