NDSU Extension Livestock Specialist Karl Hoppe says that even with a warmer winter in much of the area, cold weather, mud, and high winds are what to watch for during this calving season. “We’ve had some pretty decent weather until recently. Now with rain and mud in parts of the area, that always leads to calf health issues.” Cold, wet, and rainy conditions, Hoppe says, are calf-killing conditions when newborns and week-old calves lack the ability to fend off the rain and snow. Hoppe warns about letting calves and herds rest indoors where they can crowd together and lead to pneumonic conditions. “When you’ve got wet feet and you drag them into the barn, you’ve got a wet barn, too. So a lot of issues that show up when we have inclement weather.”
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