Develop a flexible feed plan

Feeding to manage animal stress and to maintain as much condition as possible is critical in a heavy snow situation.

Develop a flexible feed plan and monitor as time goes on.

Develop a flexible feed plan

Assess the feed you have on hand - silage, hay, straw, brassicas, cereals etc
Decide what you will feed while snow is still on the ground. Do you have enough? How will you manage any changes in feed type? How can you ensure enough metabolisable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP)?
Do a feed budget. Cow diet needs an average ME of 9.5 MJ/kg DM with at least 12% CP otherwise body condition will be lost. Straw has an ME of about 6, and even when mixed with cereal silage the diet will still be low in CP.
If you have a feed shortfall, order in suitable supplementary feeds - grain, PKE, cereal silage, baleage, broll etc. Be aware of their energy and protein content, and seek expert advice on the best combination for your situation. Don't just guess.
Plan to feed young stock as well as possible. They are your future.
Monitor crops and pastures carefully, and be ready to change grazing priorities once the snow thaws
Swedes and turnips can be break fed to cows even under 30cm of snow. Feed from long, thin faces with on/off grazing. Once the snow thaws, graze other crops preferentially.
Kale/rape/choumoulier should not be break fed until snow melts otherwise much will be lost. They retain their energy and protein while under snow, but the dry matter (DM) content can drop by about 3%, so factor this into your feed budget.
- After the thaw, graze before leaves start to rot, and utilise heavier crops first.
- Beware of high nitrate levels - feed late in the day, don't feed if N has recently been applied, avoid feeding after frosts and dull days. If in doubt, get a nitrate test kit from your vet.
- Nitrate poisoning is a rate-of-intake problem, so slow the rate of intake by feeding straw, silage or baleage before putting cows onto crops so they are less likely to gorge themselves.
- Feed from long thin faces with on/off grazing, shifting fences a little and often to get good crop utilisation.
Greenfeed oats, barley, short rotation ryegrass - give priority to feeding of these crops once snow thaws. You will have a window of about three weeks before rotting occurs, but frequent frosts after thawing will hasten deterioration. Check the smell - if the base of the pasture smells like compost, graze it off immediately.
Pasture will be an unknown quantity until the snow is gone. Short pasture should recover ok, but long pasture will be crushed and wet after the thaw and will rot unless fine, windy weather dries it out.
- Some farmers use chain harrows to break the top of the snow, speed thawing and provide access to the grass for stock. However, be aware that using blades or snow ploughs can cause much damage to pastures and crops.
- Let the snow thaw, then graze long grass quickly to promote regrowth. If it is starting to rot, graze what you can.
- Minimise pugging as best you can. Perhaps create a sacrifice paddock if any need renovation, then re-seed in spring.
- Consider applying nitrogen if conditions are right.
Concentrates, PKE, vegetable wastes can be expensive, but have high feed value and high utilisation if fed out under fences. Some farmers place feed onto old conveyor belts.
Don't forget stock that may be out grazing. Contact the grazier to make sure they are ok and meet with them early to discuss any issues and plan the way forward.