Examining whether cows should be housed over winter or not can lead to many cost savings but can also be detrimental to cow health, according to the latest report from NADIS.

The out wintering of beef cattle has many advantages such as reduced cow costs, reduced labour and reduced space requirements but these benefits need to be weighed up against the costs producers could face over the coming winter.

Leaving cattle out is an attractive option for many beef producers. In years such as this where straw is expensive and there is great variation in silage quality, not to mention a lack of it in some areas; leaving spring calving cows outside could be a lucrative option in saving some money.

There is also less chance of disease build up in cows left outside than there is in housed cattle but it are these savings all they seem?

Apparently not, with a loss in body condition just one factor that can easily go unnoticed as beef cattle grow their coat, making condition scoring harder.

Restoring this body condition later in the pregnancy is virtually impossible and can be incredibly costly later in the gestation period. Not only that but extending the grazing season can also increase the incidence of liver fluke with mild winters allowing fluke to maintain on pastures right up until December.

Similarly, making sure enough feed is provided and that daily intakes are maintained can also be tricky especially in fields where cows are batched together and access to feeders isn’t as spacious.

“Animal welfare needs to be the key priority and plans need to be in place to identify and provide solutions for problems arising in out-wintered cattle,” the report reckoned.

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