Managing through the cold spell
As temperatures are expected to remain near freezing over the coming days, proactive measures are needed at farm level.
Severe weather challenges all of us. Activities that we take for granted can become difficult or even hazardous when severe weather occurs. However, by taking some simple steps, you can reduce the impact of such events.
Before going out on your land or farmyard, always tell someone where you are going and how long you will be gone for. It is important to wear suitable warm clothing and to bring a charged mobile phone. Having grit and salt available to ensure safe access to sheds, if required, is also a must.
With snow forecast in some northern parts, high visibility clothing should also be worn if you find yourself checking or searching for animals in snowy environs.
If conditions becoming challenging, having a plan on how you will get food and water to your stock will be a benefit. It is vital that all stock have access to water - check supply in sheds regularly and make provision for alternative sources if shed supply is prone to freezing e.g. plastic drinkers;
Sloped/high traffic yard areas for stock should be cleaned in advance of snow / freezing conditions and treated with salt. From a milk collection point of view and tanker access, farmers should have grit or salt in place, especially if milk storage days is an issue.
Additionally, to prevent your machinery and water supplies freezing up, it’s advisable to have thermostatically-controlled heaters in the pump house. Regarding the parlour freezing, farmers should thoroughly drain the plant after every milking and, where possible/ necessary (very open parlours), have hot air blowers or infra-red lamps to keep the lines from freezing.
If a farmer cannot drain his milking machine fully, then an option is to leave a salt solution in the milking line at the rate of 0.5 kg salt per 5 gallons of water, but this must be rinsed before milking to remove salt traces. An insulation blanket / plastic sheet, placed at the entrance to the milking parlour, may help prevent milking machines freezing up. Additionally, all wash-down pumps should be drained, while the antifreeze levels in all engines should be checked.
More information - Farming during severe weather conditions (pdf)