Ozarks cattle farmers face challenges with extreme cold during calving season

Extremely cold air continues to settle into the region following the snowstorm, and cattle farmers are working tirelessly to ensure the health of their herds during calving season.

Jason Wacha, a cattle farmer with 15 years in the business and lifelong exposure to the lifestyle, has more than 100 bred cows expected to give birth within the next few days. Harsh conditions can accelerate the birthing process, turning a bred cow into a calving one sooner than expected.

“We just had one of the most extreme events we’ve seen in a long time, with the cold and snow hitting all at once,” said Wacha, “it causes a lot of high stress on the animals, which can lead them to calve unexpectedly when they might have had days or even weeks left.”

Wacha, who manages 2,500 acres of farmland, said he had to use infrared technology to locate a newborn calf during the storm.

“We had a cow start calving right in the middle of the winter storm,” Wacha explained, “I carried blankets, heaters, and milk replacement. We did everything we could to warm him up, but sometimes, they just don’t make it. That’s just part of farming.”

Despite his vast herd size, Wacha treats every cow like a family member and monitors them closely throughout the season.

“We usually check on these cows once a day in normal weather, but with the severe conditions of the past few days, we’ve been checking them two to three times daily,” he said.