Prepare Your Dairy for Winter

I enjoy operating my small dairy year-round, though I have to admit spring and fall are my favorite times of year, because I’m not a fan of weather extremes. Here are some tips I’ve learned while managing my small herd during Vermont’s long winters.

Good lighting. In winter, it’s dark when I wake up, and dark when I do my evening chores. The floodlight outside my barn has a motion detector, so it lights up the barnyard when the cows or I go outside in the dark. I recommend installing lighting inside your sheds and outbuildings where you work in winter, but don’t feel the need to do everything at once. Every fall, I make one or two minor improvements to my dairy to prepare for the upcoming season.

Also in fall, I make sure the areas where I’ll be pushing snow are open and clear of machinery and other obstacles, and I stack the firewood. I take down temporary fencing next to the road and driveways. Plowing snow is unproductive, so I make sure to eliminate any obstacles or further complications that could damage my