NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — It may be mild Tuesday, but that doesn't mean it won't get colder again this winter. While we have the luxury of central heating, livestock don't and it's important to keep them warm in colder temperatures. North Dakota State University Extension Livestock Management specialist, Lacey Quail, shares how producers, ranchers, and farmers can keep their herds safe during the winter season. Quail says the most important thing people can do to keep livestock and cattle safe, healthy, and warm is keeping them dry and out of the wind. "It's not necessarily one species or another, but young animals would be more susceptible just because they are smaller and they can't generate as much heat. So, when we start getting into calving or lambing season in a few months, especially making sure those young animals are even more protected," explained Quail. She adds that to prevent them from getting frostbite, you should change out their bedding if it gets wet. Bedding helps keep them dry and provides insulation from the cold ground, but it's not the only way to keep the animals safe. 36% of Americans took on holiday debt this year, study finds "And then wind breaks are also really helpful to keep cattle out of the wind and for every cow, you need one foot of wind break to be adequate shelter. So if you had 30 cows in a pasture you would need a 30 foot wind break," said Quail. She says wind breaks can be natural or man made, some producers have shelter belts with trees or they will build fences. Livestock, especially cattle, are really great at generating body heat with the right diet. "As they eat, they are going to be generating body heat from digestion, so that's providing enough food, and food of high enough quality is really important in cold temperatures so they can make their own body heat," said Quail. Making sure livestock can actually get to their food is very important, because sometimes, cattle may go out into a pasture that's far away from where they normally feed. "The biggest thing is that we call it the critical temperature of 18 degrees. So, when a wind chill is for every degree below 18 degrees, you need to increase the energy that you are giving that cow by 1% for every degree below 18 degrees," said Quail. Quail says many things take more time in the winter than you may be used to, especially when it comes to feeding and ensuring their water isn't frozen over. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Today's Top Stories SIGN UP NOW