NATCHEZ — When the cold wind blows, local livestock and pet owners need to remember that they are not the only ones who notice the cold.

While it is important to remember to provide adequate wind shelter for animals, what some who are new to raising large animals may not realize is that the dietary needs of the animals change with the weather as well.

Part of that is because the main staple of their foraging — grass — isn’t growing anymore, said Joe Whitaker, a Wilkinson County resident who raises cattle.

Part of the solution for livestock is to plant winter grass and feed them hay.

But producers also need to supplement that diet with mineral blocks such as molasses licks and high protein feeds like cottonseed meal, Whitaker said.

Supplements like cottonseed meal are highly palatable, though, and Whitaker gave some simple advice about how to make sure all of the livestock get their share.

“We like to cut it with salt,” he said. “That will keep them from eating too much, and when one moves away to get some water, another one will be able to move in.”

But livestock aren’t the only animals that have different food needs during the cold months.

The Humane Society of the United States advises that keeping warm depletes the energy of pets, especially dogs that are kept outside, and they may need more food during the winter months.

They also advise routinely checking to make sure the water in your outdoor animals’ water bowls has not frozen.