Preparing Calves for Cold Weather
Jan 16, 2026
Written By Shana Hilgerson, IAS Dairy Production Specialist
This winter has been unpredictable to say the least, but the worst may be yet to come when it comes to cold weather. Taking some time to plan ahead and protect yourself and your calves against inclement weather will save everyone on your farm a lot of trouble down the road. Keep these feed considerations in mind this winter:
Think about increasing the fat content in milk for calves. Baby calves have a very limited amount of fat that they’re born with that they can utilize for energy, so it’s important to supplement with enough energy that they can build and maintain those fat stores in cases of unavoidable stress. Some ways to increase fat content in milk is to use an add pack in your usual milk product or upgrade to a cold weather milk replacer with a higher fat content. Make sure to consult with your nutritionist to maintain appropriate total %solids in your milk, an improper balance of solids can cause digestive upset.
Another way to increase energy in your calves is to introduce another feeding. Feeding them early morning and late at night so that there’s a smaller gap between feedings when calves receive calories, especially giving them a warmup during the coldest time of day, can reduce cold stress. This might be harder because it takes more labor and changes the routine for the farm, but can be beneficial for the calves.
Finally, one of the most important feed considerations in the winter is temperature. This should be kept in mind all year long, but especially in the winter. Calves should always be served milk around body temperature, so make sure you are checking milk temperature regularly. It should be 102-105 degrees F when it’s delivered to the calf. Serving cold milk reduces the amount of available energy the calf can get from the milk, because they have to use calories to warm the milk to body temperature before they can utilize any energy they can get out of the milk. And always offer warm water after milk, even in the winter when you have to dump water refusals to keep buckets from freezing. Keeping calves hydrated can be an important protection against scours and other illnesses all year long.
For more feed tips or information on products, contact your local IAS Dairy Production Specialist. Keep yourselves and your calves warm and healthy this winter!
This winter has been unpredictable to say the least, but the worst may be yet to come when it comes to cold weather. Taking some time to plan ahead and protect yourself and your calves against inclement weather will save everyone on your farm a lot of trouble down the road. Keep these feed considerations in mind this winter:
Think about increasing the fat content in milk for calves. Baby calves have a very limited amount of fat that they’re born with that they can utilize for energy, so it’s important to supplement with enough energy that they can build and maintain those fat stores in cases of unavoidable stress. Some ways to increase fat content in milk is to use an add pack in your usual milk product or upgrade to a cold weather milk replacer with a higher fat content. Make sure to consult with your nutritionist to maintain appropriate total %solids in your milk, an improper balance of solids can cause digestive upset.
Another way to increase energy in your calves is to introduce another feeding. Feeding them early morning and late at night so that there’s a smaller gap between feedings when calves receive calories, especially giving them a warmup during the coldest time of day, can reduce cold stress. This might be harder because it takes more labor and changes the routine for the farm, but can be beneficial for the calves.
Finally, one of the most important feed considerations in the winter is temperature. This should be kept in mind all year long, but especially in the winter. Calves should always be served milk around body temperature, so make sure you are checking milk temperature regularly. It should be 102-105 degrees F when it’s delivered to the calf. Serving cold milk reduces the amount of available energy the calf can get from the milk, because they have to use calories to warm the milk to body temperature before they can utilize any energy they can get out of the milk. And always offer warm water after milk, even in the winter when you have to dump water refusals to keep buckets from freezing. Keeping calves hydrated can be an important protection against scours and other illnesses all year long.
For more feed tips or information on products, contact your local IAS Dairy Production Specialist. Keep yourselves and your calves warm and healthy this winter!