With temperatures set to plummet tomorrow (Thursday, November 30), some measures can be taken to avoid your farm running into some issues caused by the cold weather.
While livestock can cope with low temperatures provided they have plenty of feed and shelter, water supply can be a problem for both outwintered and housed animals during freezing conditions.
This is set to be a concern soon on farms, as Met Éireann has issued a weather warning for low temperature and ice which will come into effect for most of the country tomorrow evening.
Temperatures are expected to fall below -3° in many areas, with developing frost and ice causing hazardous travelling conditions, the national forecaster said.
The Status Yellow weather warning will come into effect from 6.00p.m tomorrow, and will remain in place until 12.00p.m on Friday (December 1).
Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, and Connacht will be affected.
Cold weather preparation
Ensuring that all livestock have free access to water is important. Supplies of drinking water should be checked daily, and surface ice broken on troughs twice per-day if necessary.
For concrete troughs that aren’t in use, emptying these out should be a priority, as if temperatures do drop as expected, there is a risk of water freezing in these troughs and possibly leading to them to crack.
Milking parlours and associated equipment are at risk during the cold weather too, so it is advisable to ensure that all doors into the parlour are kept closed.
Anywhere where water can hold and possibly freeze should be drained where possible.
To combat pipes leading to the shed freezing underground, it is handy to have a second pipe at hand that you could use overground to get water to the shed during the cold snap.
It is important to empty this pipe every evening so it’s not frozen the next morning if you need to use it again.
Using machinery
If possible, get ahead of yourself and have bales of silage pushed in so that will you avoid driving the tractor and doing work that could be avoided in instances where roads and farmyards are icy.
A useful resource to have around the yard would be grit and salt to ensure safe access to sheds in the event of icy conditions.
Farmers are advised to take steps to prevent freezing up. Check anti-freeze levels and have batteries fully charged to cope with the extra demands of starting in freezing conditions. Tractors should be kept in the shed when not in use.