Texas winters are infamously fickle. Each year, weather conditions range from mild temperatures with high humidity to record-setting rain, sleet and sometimes snow. Sometimes, Texas livestock experience all of these weather conditions within the same week, presenting them with health challenges.
Theย Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, TVMDL,ย offers several tests to maintain and evaluate animal health during the winter. Guy Sheppard, DVM, TVMDL veterinary diagnostician, said there are also a few basic mitigation strategies livestock producers may consider this winter.
Make sure shelter and water sources remain clean
Most livestock species are adaptable, however, itโs important to provide animals shelter to protect them from cold, blustery and wet conditions. Once a shelter is in place, maintaining the area can ensure animals stay healthy.
โCleanliness of the shelter areas is important as disease pathogens survive and thrive in dirty and contaminated environments,โ Sheppard said. โManure removal and bedding replacement will ensure that your livestock have an excellent place to escape the winter elements. Along those same lines, make sure that clean, adequate water supplies are available and will be easy to maintain during freezing conditions.โ
Nutrition and safe consumption of forages
Energy and protein are important levels to evaluate during a cold winter. People may think an animalโs metabolism slows during the winter, but the opposite is true, Sheppard said.
โNutritional requirements increase during winter,โ Sheppard said. โThis coincides with a time the nutritional value of our forage is decreasing.โ
In addition to decreasing in nutritional value, certain forages may become stressed and produce toxins, Sheppard said. For example, forages within the sorghum family produce and accumulate cyanide, also known as prussic acid, and nitrates. Therefore, itโs important to evaluate the quality of forage before offering it to livestock.
TVMDLโs role in assisting livestock producers this winter
TVMDL offers several tests that can be performed at the herd or individual levels and range from panels to assess energy balance and mineral levels to testing forage or feed to ensure itโs free of toxins.
Five TVMDL veterinary diagnosticians, such as Sheppard, are available to assist with testing recommendations and result interpretation.
As a starting point, TVMDL encourages livestock producers to first contact their veterinarian to determine what kind of testing, if any, is recommended. For more information on TVMDLโs testing, visitย tvmdl.tamu.eduย or call one of the agencyโs full-service laboratories in Bryan-College Station or Canyon.