Calf Blankets in Cold Weather: Common Mistakes Farmers Make and What Else Matters
German farming portal agrarheute outlines how cattle farmers should use calf blankets on cold nights. Blankets help, but misuse creates new problems, so milk supply and bedding need checking too.
German agricultural portal agrarheute, drawing on a farmers' discussion on Instagram, looks at when and how cattle keepers should use calf blankets. Days are mild but nights are close to freezing, so many farmers are asking whether their calves need a blanket now.
When a blanket is needed
In the discussion, farmers' routines differ: some blanket calves from about 0 °C, others already below 5 °C. Some say that with plenty of dry straw and good milk provision they manage almost without blankets. For calves in their first three weeks of life, the so-called lower critical temperature is roughly 10 to 15 °C. Below that, the animal burns extra energy to keep its body warm, but this does not mean it is chilled or that a blanket is automatically required. Newborn, sick and weakened calves deserve particular attention.
Four common mistakes
- Putting the blanket on wet fur. Only fully dry calves should be covered, and a blanket must not replace drying the coat.
- Continuing to use a wet or dirty blanket. It must be replaced, and cleaned and fully dried between two calves. For pathogens such as cryptosporidia, the disinfection method should be agreed with a veterinarian.
- Not checking under the blanket in mild weather. If a calf sweats, the damp coat promotes chilling when temperatures fall. The blanket should come off during the day and go back on the dry animal for the cold night.
- Not checking straps and fit. Calves grow, straps do not, so leg loops can become too tight and cause sores.
Milk and bedding
For a weak calf, a blanket is not enough: if it does not drink or lacks a suckling reflex, its temperature should be measured and a veterinarian consulted. One practitioner considers increasing milk volume in the cold at least as important as blanketing, since a blanket limits heat loss but supplies no energy. Deep, dry straw bedding and good air quality in the barn also matter.
When to take the blanket off depends on the calf's development, feed intake and the weather, not on a particular week of life.
