At this time of the year cattle can often be found in barns for many months; at Good Small Farms, however, the mob are still out on pasture (all year round!).

Out on pasture the cattle can express their natural behaviours such as roaming and foraging or playing and fighting for dominance; things they would struggle to do in a barn.
A problem that can occur with outwintering cattle in conventional systems is poaching. This occurs when wet conditions and continuous hoof impact create compacted and poorly draining soils – not good for pasture health. As we move our mob every day this isn’t a problem. In wetter conditions some areas will be heavily impacted and bare soil may be exposed (something that we try to avoid) but with a substantial rest period (the time until the next exposure to grazing/hoof impact) the pasture recovers well and can even benefit from a bit of aeration!

So what about shelter in cold and wet conditions? Well, we try to ensure that the mob has access to a hedgerow or a tree at all times. They are hardy beasts and it is in fact natural for a cow to lose a little ‘condition’ over winter which is regained with the spring growth and luscious grasses that ensue. Did you know that the ideal temperature for a ruminating cow is between -5 and 5℃? Outside of this temperature they are using energy to either warm up or cool down; they have an internal radiator as the organisms within their stomachs produce a lot of heat!
Throughout winter we use bales to supplement the grasses in the pasture; during this ‘dormant period’ grass growth has stopped so the bales help us to slow the mob down in the rotation so that the pasture is fully recovered before it is regrazed. We estimate that 15% of the bale is left uneaten. This will eventually break down and in turn feed the soil and the organisms within it; building topsoil and improving pasture health for the seasons to come.
Inside a barn pests and disease spread more easily and the time and effort involved in mucking out the barn is a cost that is best avoided. For us it’s a no brainer, outwintering the cattle is the way to go.
Matt Dowen