Winter Water Needs
As the snow flies this winter, keeping a herd well-watered gets a bit harder. Power outages, frozen tanks and massive drifts can be roadblocks to a steady water source during cold temperatures. It might be tempting at these times to let animals fend for themselves — after all, snow has water, right?
First, we need to consider how much water animals need. As a rule of thumb, a dry cow or bull needs 1 gallon of water per 100 lbs. of body weight on an average day. Growing animals will require more. Lactating animals are usually near the top for need with 2 gallons of water daily per 100 lbs. of body weight.
Often some of an animal’s water comes from its diet, but without fresh forage, almost all water needs must be met elsewhere. This means a cow needs to consume 30-40 lbs. of snow daily to meet its needs. When snow is crusted or trampled, consuming an appropriate amount is even more difficult.
The animal itself must also be considered. Eating snow is a learned behavior and doesn’t just happen overnight. Having an experienced cow in the herd to teach others can help, but animals new to the technique can still take up to a week to learn. Additionally, thin cattle (body condition score of 3 or less) should not be forced to depend only on snow. Cattle should have at least a BCS of 4 and should be in good health.
While water demands in the winter may be less than summer, keeping water available can be difficult. Having animals eat snow may be tempting, but requires an experienced herd, plenty of fresh snow, and healthy animals.
Pasture Lease Considerations
As pasture grazing leases are getting finalized for the 2025 season, it is important to make sure that some of the key details are clear and in writing.
Traditionally, pasture leases are for five or six months from April or May through October. Specific starting and ending dates can be used, but there could be exceptions based on spring weather conditions or if there were drought conditions the previous year that might warrant delaying turn-out to allow some recovery of grasses.
A lease clause that provides details on what would happen if drought occurs during the season is a must. Most often, this is handled by reduced stocking rates or a shorter grazing period. Other situations that could affect the amount of pasture available includes severe hail, grasshoppers or wildfire. In fairness, of course, pasture rent owed should also be adjusted accordingly if the grazing period is shortened. Consider pricing leases based on grazing animal unit months (AUMs) rather than a flat rate per acre or cow-calf pair. This can make it easier when adjustments are made to the length of time grazing occurs. In some cases, an abundance of pasture growth might result in extra grazing.
Other pasture and grazing management details that could be part of a written lease agreement would include fence maintenance and repair, weed control, or any issues associated with the livestock water supply. Some landowners might also have specific preferences in how grazing rotations are done through several pastures.
Start your communications early and make written agreements for fairness and equity. A fillable lease form for pasture can be found on Ag Lease 101.
