• Home
  • About
    • About The Farm
    • In the News
  • Farm Store
  • Our Products
    • Milk
    • Ice Cream
    • Vegetables
    • How to Buy
  • Whole Diet CSA
    • About Our CSA
    • Why Join?
    • FAQs
    • CSA Policies
    • Become a Member
    • Member Login
  • Contact
    • Reach out
    • Visit Us
    • Work with Us
  • Blog
Kiss the Cow Farm, Barnard, Vermont
  • Home
  • About
    • About The Farm
    • In the News
  • Farm Store
  • Our Products
    • Milk
    • Ice Cream
    • Vegetables
    • How to Buy
  • Whole Diet CSA
    • About Our CSA
    • Why Join?
    • FAQs
    • CSA Policies
    • Become a Member
    • Member Login
  • Contact
    • Reach out
    • Visit Us
    • Work with Us
  • Blog

Cold, Calories, Cows & Chickens

1/25/2021

0 Comments

 
You’re not the only one who doesn’t like cold weather. Animals don’t like it much either, although they’re better equipped to handle cold or wet weather. Cows grow a thicker, winter coat, for example, and can easily be outside in a snowstorm. We’ve occasionally had them come in the barn for morning milking with a few inches of snow on their (insulated) backs and icicles hanging underneath them. They’re fine in spite of how they look! A few winters ago, one heifer wouldn't come in at all, even during the worst storms. Ruminants have an advantage: their constant chewing and swallowing keeps the blood flowing even when standing still. Actually, cows are healthier outside than stuck in a damp barn with stale air, which is a perfect environment for pneumonia.  
 
Chickens will fluff up their feathers creating air pockets to help insulate them. They’ll often huddle together in a corner of the coop or spoon (alternate facing front and back) when sitting on a roost. And they will tuck one leg up in their feathers to keep it warm. A draft-free environment is more important than heat. 
 
Of course, it takes more calories just to stay warm so milk or egg production suffer during the winter months, especially during cold spells. The shorter days with less sunlight also contribute to lower production. This is why you will find fewer local eggs in stores (or CSAs!) during winter. Egg production can fall off as much as 40%. 
 
All of which is to explain why we don’t have enough organic eggs at the moment….
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Randy Robar, co-owner of Kiss the Cow Farm

    Archives

    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

© COPYRIGHT 2025, KISS THE COW FARM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Website design by Free Verse Studio. 
  • Home
  • About
    • About The Farm
    • In the News
  • Farm Store
  • Our Products
    • Milk
    • Ice Cream
    • Vegetables
    • How to Buy
  • Whole Diet CSA
    • About Our CSA
    • Why Join?
    • FAQs
    • CSA Policies
    • Become a Member
    • Member Login
  • Contact
    • Reach out
    • Visit Us
    • Work with Us
  • Blog