40 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN February 2025 MANAGING MUD From Calving to Feedlots KELSEY POPE | CONTRIBUTING WRITER Prolonged periods of mud and moisture during calving and in feedlots can significantly impact cattle health by increasing energy demands and promoting disease. Preparation is the best resource to help prevent some of these issues, but producers should also have some strategies in their back pocket ready for when extreme moisture hits close to home. CALVING IN MUDDY CONDITIONS Mud in calving areas can pose significant health risks to both cows and calves. Excessive moisture hinders the hair coat’s ability to insulate and regulate body temperature, increasing the cow’s energy demands and leaving newborn calves susceptible to hypothermia. To address these health concerns, it is essential to minimize the impact of mud in calving areas. For most cow-calf producers, it’s hard to prepare for muddy conditions based on how their calving system is setup, says Lindsay Waechter-Mead, DVM, Nebraska Extension beef educator. One way to help manage calf health during times of excess moisture and mud is to provide a calf shelter – or an area where only calves can escape without cow traffic. “I encourage producers to ‘look outside the box’ and to see if there’s an area that you don’t normally let those calves get into, but you can let them to get out of the mud,” Waechter-Mead says. Examples of a calf shelter can be creep areas like a tree shelter belt next to the pasture where the bottom barbed wire rows can be lifted to let only calves through, or hot wires in corners of pens. Bedding can be another strategy, but must be managed well and removed when too soiled. Calves that nurse cows that have been laying in mud are more susceptible to getting scours and respiratory issues, so air movement and cleanliness is crucial. This is just as important outside as it is inside calving barns. With any mud situation, Waechter-Mead asks, ”What can you do that you don’t normally do to get them away from the mud?” The Sandhills Calving Method is a researched strategy that involves separating calves by age to maintain a clean environment and reduce pathogen loads. “The gold standard of this strategy would be to evenly split calves up by age,” Waechter-Mead says. “For example, all A calf shelter is an area where only calves can escape without cow traffi c . CONTINUED ON PAGE 42 PRODUCTION
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