February Rain

For the first time in almost 10 years the province of Manitoba has had rain in February.  Mind you we are not having super warm temperatures with it, hovering around zero C, which means that lovely (or not) rain is becoming ice. Ice is coating everything from roads, side walks, pathways and drive ways to barn yards, pastures, corrals and areas where outside livestock can be found.  Are you prepared for the care that your animals may require with this type of weather?

This isn't a spring rain that dries quickly on the coat, rather it becomes wet, then chilly and then after the hair is saturated it can become ice quickly.  The footing is treacharous, especially on well travelled paths to feed troughs and waterers or troughs.  Hooves can pack up with ice, noses and ears can become sore from browsing through the ice to feed.  Legs and backs are vulnerable to falls. Bedding is soaked and often times doors and gates are frozen either shut or open.

As producers we are responsible for the care of our livestock year round - 24/7/365 - but how can we be prepared for something that doesn't happen here hardly ever?  First task is to watch the forecast. People laughed at me on Sunday for watching not only our radar but also tracking the US radar - we saw the storm coming, we saw the forecast temperatures and we had a pretty good hunch that it would be a not very cold, but cold enough system to coat everything in wet and then ice.  

The next bit of weather that is coming will have snow and wind - what do you think that will mean to animals that are already wet? To roads that are already covered in shiny ice?  For producers with doors frozen shut and openings iced over?  It could spell trouble, it could spell disaster or it could spell relief.  Relief? Yes, that our preparations were adequate and that our animals were cared for the best we were able.

When the big ice storms hit on the US East Coast the cost to dairy farms alone in the hardest hit areas were up around $30,000 to $250,000 per FARM!  That is for barned animals which require constant environmental monitoring and care. The toll on beef producers and people with other outside animals like horses, sheep and goats was very high because their animals also suffered a physical toll.  The dairy men lost money due to lost product and sick and injured animals.  The outside animals suffered from miscarriages due to falls, they also suffered from animals being put down with injuries, not being able to provide water and feed with frozen vehicles and power outages.

We are encouraged to be prepared to be without power or municipal assistance for up to 72 hours in an emergency - are our farms equally prepared?  Can you access alternate water sources?  If you cannot get to equipment because of ice what is your back up plan?  If you have a remote farm yard who will try to get through, and what will they be able to do once they arrive?  How long is your fuel going to last in the generator?  Who knows how to take care of things if you are not able to?

Do you need help or ideas? Contact me, use Google or call your extension or ag department offices.  Check out blogs or groups online, be informed, be prepared. Check the weather and highway conditions.  Check both Canadian and American radar weather maps - our latest storm started in Texas/Colorado area and on Monday night had a track that reached from SE Manitob all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico.  People who say they didn't know it was coming or were caught by surprise haven't been paying attention! Radio, TV, internet and weather radios are critical tools for our farms and our families.

Be safe, be prepared and be ready to care for yourself and your animals!