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Bitter cold temperatures continue across Tennessee. With the cold brings long days for farmers with livestock as they work to make sure their animals are well cared for.
Thomas Capps
Bitter cold continues Hello and welcome to Tennessee home and Farm Radio. I’m Thomas Capps. There’s no farms or
Charles Hord
There’s no farms closed today so you do have to do a little extra work when it’s like this outside.
Thomas Capps
The snow has stop falling across the Volunteer State leaving behind large accumulation and bitterly cold temperatures. Most places are seeing highs only reaching the teens and lows in the single digits. That means farmers with livestock are working a bit harder, braving the dangerous temperatures to ensure their animals are well cared for. Tennessee Cattlemen Association Executive Vice President Charles Hord and his daughter Teddy Ann are out constantly checking on their sheep.
Charles Hord
You gotta make sure they’ve got their bellies full so, you know that helps regulate their warmth so every farmer in the state I know is putting out extra hay the next couple of days in knowing how cold it’s gonna be. There’s a lot of time spent watching water lines breaking up water tanks hoping your water lines don’t freeze.
Thomas Capps
Keeping water broke can perhaps be the biggest challenge in weather like this. Kevin Ferguson with UT Extension has trough warmers and a geothermal system for his cattle but for those relying on breaking water, safety for both the animal and the farmer is important.
Kevin Ferguson
You will have stories during this time of year about farmers being out and trying to bust ice on ponds and for the cattle have access to water and out checking animals that are calving or having babies at this time. There’s a lot of people that are right in the middle of calving and lambing and kidding now and you know they want to be out there taking care of those animals but they’ve got also figured out and make sure to protect themselves go in occasionally warm up, bundle up.
Thomas Capps
Ferguson also says now’s the time to feed the best quality hay that you have as livestock rely on getting key nutrients to stay warm. It’s days like these though we can all give thanks for the 2% that work to feed the other 98% of us.
Kevin Ferguson
They love this is a way of life. Yes, it’s a business but it’s also a way of life.
Charles Hord
This is the hard part of the job. Most of the year is a lot of fun having livestock. This is the time where you got to do a little work.
Thomas Capps
For Tennessee Home and Farm Radio, I’m Thomas Capps.