It's been tough for all of us to get going on these frigid mornings so consider the cattle producers.

Local rancher Wade Nelson says he feels bad for his compatriots to the east who don't get a break.

"At least we've got it in the forecast, we've got a Chinook coming, at least we get that reprieve in winter, not like some of these guys out further east in Saskatchewan and Manitoba or further north, but ya, when it's this cold it's hard on everything, it's hard on equipment, it's hard on your cattle and all you can do is throw more feed at them and bed them as much as you can and kind of throw the feed cost calculator out the window and look at the forecast and hope for a Chinook," said Nelson.

He calls himself a fair weather cowboy, meaning calving doesn't start for him until April, but he knows other producers who are just getting into it now.

"I sent him my blessings, you know it's a lot of work, these guys are up every hour on the hour and you've got to make sure that calf's dried out and ready to go because there's not a lot of forgiveness when it's minus 33."

He says feed costs are already up this year because of the lack of feed available after last summer's drought.

 

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