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If the weather forecast is right, there will be two issues to deal with: heavy frost tomorrow and Wednesday, followed by heavy snow on Wednesday and Thursday. Some parts of the country may get snow before Wednesday.
Water
With daytime temperatures failing to get above 0 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and Wednesday, there will be no thaw. So if water pipes freeze tonight, prepare for them to be frozen for the rest of the week.
Dry cows eating silage will probably be OK for a day or more without water, but milking cows will need access to water every day.
A lot of water pipes to cubicle sheds froze during the hard frost of 2010 and 2011. In the event of this happening again, set up a large trough in a yard near the sheds. Disconnect the pipe from the ball cock and attach a lever valve to the end of the pipe and keep the water flowing at about a quarter of full rate to prevent it from freezing. This could be costly if paying for water.
Another option is to pipe water to this trough from a tap that you know won’t freeze, for example a tap in the dairy that has a heat lamp over it. Make sure to fully drain the pipe after use or it won’t be much use the next time.
Feed
To reduce animals' demand for water, you can reduce concentrate feeding rates. If cows are out grazing, they can continue to stay grazing until the snow comes. Frosty grass is OK for cows to graze, but brassicas should not be grazed if there is frost on the crop, as it can lead to nitrates poisoning.
Milking machine
The safest way to prevent your milking parlour freezing is to fully drain it from water. Keep clusters on the ground tonight and open any couplings that attract water.
One tip to drain liners and milk tubes after the final rinse and when the machine is still running is to open all buttons on claw pieces (close vacuum) when attached to the jetters. Go to the furthest unit from the receiver jar and press the button up and down repeatedly. Repeat this for every unit to send blasts of vacuum through the unit, sucking out water.
The other option is to line the inside of the pipes with saltwater to prevent freezing. The normal rate is a 2.5% salt solution. So dissolve 0.5kg of salt in 20 litres of water and flush it through the line after the final rinse. Give the machine a further rinse of water at the next milking to get rid of the salt, or else let the first few gallons of milk run to waste.
Scrapers
Automatic scrapers gave a lot of trouble in 2010 and 2011 with slurry freezing to the nicks in the track, preventing the blade from moving. Run the scrapers more regularly to keep them moving and/or clean the top of the track every few hours.
Pumps
If wash-down pumps are not protected with insulation or heat lamps, then the water in them will freeze, causing damage to the impellers. The safest option is to drain pipes and pumps that are not being used – easier said than done. Insulate where feasible.
Stock
Where cattle are out, make sure they have shelter. Some calves were turned out last week. If they have shelter from the east, they should be OK. Calves will need extra feed in the cold, as they use more energy to keep warm. AHDB guidelines in the UK suggest that calves up to three weeks of age require an extra 50g of milk powder or 0.33l of milk per day for every five degrees below 15 degrees Celsius. For older calves, the rate should be increased by the same amount, but only for temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius.
Air speed is a big determining factor. Where calves are sheltered from wind and draughts, the air temperature will be higher. Extra straw in sheds will provide extra insulation.
Machinery
Check that there is anti-freeze in tractor radiators. Keep tractors in sheds if possible. Enclosed cubicle sheds will be the warmest place in the farmyard. Make sure sprayers and other equipment that carries water are well drained.
Finally, look after yourself and those in the community. Extra layers of clothing are more insulating than wearing fewer heavier clothes. Eat well over the next few days, as your body will use up more energy to keep warm. Your workload is likely to increase also.
It’s not the end of the world if cows cannot be milked twice a day every day. Cows will recover in yield and SCC will improve quickly too. The important thing is to keep safe.
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