Winter is hard on grazed cattle and dairy herds in northern climates. Snow-covered pastures offer little in the way of forage, and water sources routinely freeze solid. Add to this the effects of sub-zero wind chills, and pastured animals will quickly begin to lose body condition, resulting in less milk production for dairy cows and lower meat quality for cattle.

Studies by the University of Alberta and Saskatchewan discovered that a mature cow needs at least 10 gallons of water a day in the winter. When the only water source available was snow both dairy cows and beef cattle consumed less and showed marked deterioration in body condition and output. Animals that consume only snow suffer from mineral deficiencies that cause spontaneous abortions, poor vitality and impactions.

Perhaps the biggest struggle for those of us in northern regions is making sure pastured animals have an adequate source of water during winter. We devise intricate schemes to keep water troughs from freezing that inevitably fail. Then, we find ourselves trying to thaw out a line with a blow-torch in a blizzard or stomping up and down on an overturned water tub like a deranged primate in an attempt to dislodge a mass of ice. After a few winters of this, small-scale producers soon learn there is a better way.

Cattle need roughly 10 gallons of water per individual per day. If the waterers are dry, increase the amount given at the next watering. If they’re full of ice, reduce the amount of water given.

Tips for watering pastured cattle during winter:

1. Use several watering troughs and place them near one another. We like to have one 150-gallon rubber tub for every 12 cows. This way, all the water is consumed, eliminating the need to dance on top of an overturned trough. By placing them close, you are maximizing the body heat of the animals as well as creating a heat island-effect with the troughs.

2. Water twice a day. Start with a 10-gallon minimum and adjust from there. If the troughs are bone dry at the next watering, increase the amount. If you find one-third or more of the trough contains ice, decrease the water.

3. Keep a trough of Redmond salt within 10 feet of the watering area. Free-choicing Redmond salt encourages dairy cows to drink more, helping to keep winter production up. Beef cattle benefit by retaining body weight and a healthy coat from the essential minerals in the salt.

4. Separate your animals by age. Older animals may not let younger or infirm animals drink. If you notice scraggly winter coats, lethargy or decreased appetite in younger heifers or steers, try separating them from the older animals.

5. Unless you have a large herd, don't bother with tank heaters, solar or otherwise. These devices fail constantly, require elaborate wiring schemes if you're not close to a source of electricity, and are way over-priced for what they actually do.

If you do find yourself facing down a trough full of solid ice some frigid morning, hold off on the urge to immediately tip it over with the bobcat and start jumping on it. Instead, put on a pair of safety glasses and grab your hatchet, pry bar and any other implement of destruction you might be especially handy with. Then, repeatedly assault the ice block with your tool-of-choice before turning it over and beginning your King Kong impression. This weakens the ice and decreases the chances that you'll bust a hole in the tub when you start jumping on it.

The chards from ice are as dangerous to hoofed animals as chards of glass. They can puncture the soft part of hooves as well as udders and under bellies. If you have to use the assault method to get the ice out, move the water trough away from ice fragments or scoop them up with a shovel.

Watering your pastured herd in winter can be challenging. The hard, brittle wind and bone-chilling cold is hard on all living things, but we all adapt. Let's face it; no one promised small producers a rose garden, at least not in the dead of winter. And remember, sooner or later, every livestock producer in the North jumps on top of an overturned frozen trough and does their best mad ape dance. It's okay; it's normal here.