How do farmers keep their livestock and all other animals (chickens, pigs, sheep, etc) from freezing to death in the harsh cold winter months, like in regions up north? Especially if they have dozens upon dozens of animals? I’d imagine if they group them all in an extremely large barn or something, they’d have to keep it extremely insulated?
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You are sort of right. You keep them mostly indoor. The animals do make a lot of heat themselves. So unless the barn is too big you do not even need much insulation. Most livestock are however quite well suited for winter environments. Both cows and sheep grow thick fur or wool in the winter. And they keep close to each other for warmth. It is not uncommon to have open doors in the barn for the animals to walk outside and they often do go outside in very cold weather to get some fresh air for an our a day or so. They do not feel the cold as much as we humans do.
The reason you might want to insulate the barn, or even actively heat it, is to reduce the amount of feed you need. The livestock do eat more when they are cold. Not only do they use a lot of energy shivering and staying warm but they also build more fat when cold. And it is the type of fat that often gets cut off during butchering and cooking so it does not add much value. In addition most winter livestock is for the offspring so they are all pregnant, building fat takes away from the baby. So keeping the barn warm is often more economical for the farmer as it reduces the amount of feed the livestock eat, improved the quality of the meat and ensures bigger offspring.
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