Winter Husbandry

1/25/26

Oldest two grandkids learning from Pop how to cut out pond ice for cattle in the winter.

Greetings from E2C Cattle Co! It's been such a great 2026, for our cattle. Mild winter temperatures and a decent tonnage of standing Fescue forage has resulted in minimal feed and hay supplementation. We run a, weather depending, 365-day grazing program for our mature herd with pastures divided into summer and winter forages. Cattle enjoy the hearty Bermudagrass and Native grass forages in the summer and the cool-season Kentucky-31 variety of Fescue forage in the winter. In mild winters, very little feed supplementation is needed for the herd; that changed this weekend.

We were greeted last week with winter weather warnings across the continental midwestern United States. The warnings, often more alarming than accurate, didn't disappoint this year. Beginning early morning on Saturday the 24th, we began to see snowfall in Northeastern Oklahoma. For the cattle rancher, snow is preferred over the more common sleet or freezing rain that we often experience in this part of the world; not only for safety in operating vehicles, and just merely walking around, but also for the cattle. Snow will accumulate on the top of the winter coat whereas sleet and freezing rain will penetrate.

Snow fell here at 2 Out of 3 Ranch and the temperatures plummeted to the teens. These conditions put the cattle in a state of high energy expenditure. As the temperature drops and precipitation falls, the cattle expend more energy to stay warm. Things like wind breaks can help reduce the winter weather impacts on the cattle but you can't make a cow stand where you want it to stand...cows are...well...there is a reason we eat them let's say. Anyway, the best thing to do in cold temperatures and precipitation is to increase the feed quantity and quality.

We utilize the Well Fed feed supplementation calculator to determine how much and what type of feed to supplement. The calculation is based on herd characteristics, climate conditions, and forage type. We increased the feed this weekend to meet their needs and will continue to do so during this cold snap. Check out this video from this weekend's feeding operation.

We praise God for the weather, even for what we may consider "bad". This weather gave "Pop" and "Daddy" the opportunity to teach the two eldest kids about husbandry. As the bible says in Proverbs 27:23, "Know well the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds;" and in Proverbs 12:10, "A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal,". We strive to be good stewards of God's creations. May God bless your family during this winter season and may you be counted among God's sheep for thus saith the Lord in Ezekiel 34:11, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out."

Your Local Ranchers,

Chuck, Tyler, Rachael, and Jan

E2C Cattle Co

www.e2ccattleco.com