Caring for livestock in cold weather

As cold weather intensifies in northern provinces, many areas are experiencing severe cold waves, posing significant challenges for agricultural production, particularly livestock farming.

Local authorities in Niem Son commune guide people on measures to protect livestock from the cold.

As of November 2025, the total livestock population in the province remains stable, including nearly 217,290 buffaloes, 175,900 cattle, over 6,780 dairy cows, 1.2 million pigs, and nearly 14,200 poultry.

To implement comprehensive measures for protecting livestock from the cold, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has assigned specific tasks to specialized units to closely monitor weather conditions, coordinate with localities to provide technical guidance, collect challenges, and promptly advise the provincial People's Committee. The department also focuses on public awareness, providing on-site instructions on preventive measures, and updating cold wave warnings to help residents respond proactively. Local authorities have been directed to review livestock numbers, inspect livestock housing systems, and implement measures to protect animals from the cold, ensuring all households with livestock have properly sealed, windproof shelters with adequate space during extreme cold days. They are also encouraged to stockpile feed, adhere to disease prevention regulations, disinfect pens, add dry bedding, and ensure proper heating while strictly following fire safety measures.

Te Van Lam, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Niem Son Commune, stated: "After reviewing, there are 1,683 households raising buffaloes and cattle in the commune, with 875 buffaloes and 2,840 cattle. There are 208 solid livestock pens and 1,481 semi-solid pens. The community has nearly 1,860 kg of concentrated feed and 7,430 tons of roughage stored. The local government has instructed technical staff to directly guide farmers on how to protect each type of livestock, adjust their diets to ensure proper nutrition, and prevent cattle from working outdoors during extreme cold spells."

Nguyen Vuong Chi, a resident of Ban Cho village in Yen Hoa commune, shared: "My family raises breeding pigs and commercial buffaloes. To proactively protect our livestock from the cold, I built a shelter that is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. We regularly disinfect the pens following expert guidelines and have stockpiled feed, so our livestock is developing steadily."

Trinh Van Binh, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, emphasized: "Protecting livestock from the cold has become an essential part of our strategy for safe, effective, and climate-resilient livestock farming. From experience, regions that proactively store feed and prepare solid shelters tend to minimize damage, while those that are complacent often experience livestock losses due to cold weather. Therefore, we urge localities to take immediate action to avoid being unprepared, and every farmer should be aware of the importance of protecting their livestock and strictly implementing cold-weather preventive measures to ensure sustainable development in the livestock sector.

Hoang Tuyen