Manitoba ranchers work to keep livestock safe amid spring heat dome | 24CA News
As a chronic spring warmth dome continues to hover over Manitoba, many cattle ranchers are taking further precautions to maintain their livestock herds secure.
Warren Graydon runs a cattle ranch in southeastern Manitoba. He says every day is a race in opposition to the warmth.
“I check my cattle early in the morning. If I’m going to move them paddock to paddock, I do it early in the morning,” Graydon mentioned.
Warren Graydon feeds and checks his cattle earlier within the day, attempting to beat the acute warmth.
Josh Arason / Global News
“Do everything in the cool of the day. If I need to process them, do it the cool of the day. If I need to haul, do it in the cool of the day.”
“If I’m hot, they’re hotter.”
Graydon says he has to take further precautions by double-checking water sources, guaranteeing the animals have entry to shade, and awaiting indicators of warmth stress or dehydration.
“When you’re feeling ill, you’re off, you don’t want to talk to people, you don’t want to see people, you don’t want to be bothered,” he mentioned. “They’re the same way. They just can’t tell you when they’re sick.”
Graydon additionally says feeding time must be earlier, as consuming will increase the cattle’s physique temperature much more.
“They’re my livelihood, that’s where my income comes from,” Graydon mentioned.
“They are not pets but sometimes they’re treated as pets, because that’s what makes my money.”
Graydon says total, he and his cattle can handle the warmth, so long as rainfall stays within the forecast and prevents his pastures from drying up.
“As long as we’re getting timely rains and we don’t go into a drought stage, I’m fine with this,” he mentioned.
Melissa Atchison, the analysis and extension specialist with Manitoba Beef Producers, says the extended warmth means most ranchers have to put extra work in.
“Fortunately, heat stress fatality is quite low in our livestock but we still do take precautions. Obviously, it’s very hot out there,” Atchison mentioned.
“This is not a 9 to 5 job, ranching, so we take the heat into consideration. If we have to move our animals or anything like that, we’re going to do it very early in the morning or later in the evening.”
Claus Leppelman, a livestock veterinarian with the Beausejour Animal Hospital, says this warmth brings a heightened danger for livestock.
“Just that prolonged heat and the possibility of heat stroke, and especially when we’re dealing with younger calves, the potential (for) dehydration as well,” Leppelman mentioned.
He says, thankfully, he hasn’t needed to take care of any calls associated to warmth exhaustion this spring. He says whereas many producers are well-equipped to take care of excessive warmth like this – noting some dairy farmers have followers and sprinkler methods of their barns – warmth stress can have broader impacts on cattle.
“When it gets really hot like this, cows don’t really want to eat. Just like us, I guess,” he mentioned. “Typically you’ll see there is a reduction in feed intake if cows get hot, and then that results in less milk being produced.”
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