By Jolene FarleyThe recent dip into sub-zero temperatures and a substantial amount of snowfall means a change in routine for some, but for others life remains the same. Livestock producers are putting in more hours moving snow and making sure cattle have fresh, flowing water and enough bedding to withstand the cold.Cattle producer Rollie Crawford, Beaver Creek, estimates he and his brother, Clair, work an extra hour a day doing chores when it’s cold. The Crawford brothers have cows and feeder cattle.In the freezing temperatures, equipment takes longer to warm up, according to Crawford.It takes even more time to finish chores when it snows and the brothers have to scoop or blow snow before they can get to equipment or feed the cattle. The Crawfords worked all weekend blowing and scooping snow trying to stay ahead of the 9-inch snowfall that began Friday evening. They hope the wind doesn’t come up and blow snow back to the areas they cleared. "You always have to make sure the bunks are cleaned out," Crawford said. Producers also have added costs during cold, snowy weather. Cattle eat more to keep warm, but don’t have the same rate of weight gain as during warmer periods. Electricity costs increase because heaters run more to keep waterer from freezing. "When it’s colder, cattle drink more to keep warm," Crawford said.All in all, Crawford thinks the weather this year hasn’t been as severe as some other years. "Everything’s growing so well, we haven’t had to fight the cold, cold like we did some years," he said.Doug Chapman, of Chapman Refrigeration and Electric, Hills, hasn’t seen an increase in service calls for furnace repair since the onset of the colder sub-zero temperatures. He said his service calls have remained about the same all winter.Chapman has been in business in Hills for 17 years."Generally you go through a service period in the fall," he said.If a furnace is going to develop a problem, the problem usually would have occurred and been repaired earlier in the winter, according to Chapman. He suggests that homeowners have their furnaces serviced at least once a year. Repairmen check how the furnace is burning and makes sure the filters are changed.Older furnaces could require additional maintenance, including installing new belts and oiling the blower.Oil furnaces especially need to be cleaned so they light properly and burn cleanly, according to Chapman. A yearly once-over can prevent trouble down the road. Servicemen are trained to look for the little problems that could arise.
