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Producers welcome warmth

By Jolene Farley
Warmer temperatures the past few weeks have brought area farmers relief after the sixth coldest November and second coldest December on record.

No matter how low temperatures dipped in November and December, farmers with livestock had to brave the cold.

At Hills Bros. Farms, Hills, Mike Sandager and his brother Pucky (Gene) ventured out every day to feed approximately 900 head of cattle.

The Sandagers feed them once a day at 3:30 in the afternoon. This schedule has worked well for them, according to Mike, but because the animals must keep eating evenly during cold weather they have to be careful to feed at the same time every day.

Hills Bros. Farms uses a two-phase feeding program. Calves 450 to 700 pounds are fed a diet high in roughage to build their frames. Cattle 700 to 1,200 pounds are fed a high corn ration to add weight. The cattle are sold when they weigh 1,200 pounds.

If the Sandagers suspect a storm is coming, the feed mix is adjusted. Cattle donÕt eat as much during a blizzard so they increase the long stem hay, which produces heat.

Hills Bros. Farms has lost only one animal to cold weather this winter. The business has been lucky, according to Mike.

He said cattle actually do better if they are out of the wind but not inside a shelter. If they are inside, they all bunch together and that creates heat. Heat causes moisture, and the cattle get wet. Then they go outside and the moisture freezes on their coats.

The Sandagers, like their cattle, endure the cold, "The key thing is to keep moving," said Mike. "If you are doing work you don't get cold."

They cover their faces with handkerchiefs or scarves. The tractor Mike uses to feed with doesn't have a cab. "I did freeze my ears one time," he said.

Winter means special problems for cattle producers. Cattle waterers freezing is a cold weather hazard. Heaters run continuously in the tanks to keep water thawed. This drastically increases electric bills for farmers.

Corn for the feed mix can freeze into large chunks, which can damage equipment.

Although Hills Bros. Farms suffered only one casualty this winter the Sandagers have a much subtler worry.

Cattle show a loss of weight gain during extreme weather because all the feed they're given serves only to maintain them - not to put on weight. This affects the farmers' end return. No weight gain means feeding an animal longer until it reaches the desired weight.

For example, Mike said they went a couple of weeks with no gains on their herd when the weather was so cold. Their cattle are gaining again since the temperature has warmed up.

It has been worse, Mike said, recalling the winter of 1996 being the worst. Winter started early and there was no break that year.

Snow was piled so high they couldnÕt get anywhere. The Sandagers did not own a tractor snow blower so they spent a lot of time scooping trenches next to fences. Snow drifted so high cattle could walk right out of the fences.

Purchasing a snow blower "has made life a lot simpler" for them this year.

Cattle farmers have enjoyed high prices last year and this year, at 70 to 76 cents per hundred weight. "It hasn't been that high for several years," Mike said.

But as with many agricultural markets, the costs of production are catching up with profits.

For example, with markets indicating another good year for feeder cattle, Mike said producers paid a premium this year for calves.

Also, hay prices are about three times higher this year due to lower supplies and increased demand.

"Last year we made about $50 per head, but this year, we're lucky if we break even or make $5 a head," Mike said.

He added that one good year of cattle prices is hardly enough to make up for the two years prior to last year, when cattle producers lost $50 to $100 a head.

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