The Antopol cotton-spinning factory has begun sewing winter "clothing" for calves. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent at the enterprise.

The idea came to specialists after last winter's abnormal frosts. At that time, the first batches of insulated blankets were sewn to keep calves warm. "Ahead of the next cold season, we understand that this is in demand, so we have continued this work. We use our own insulation materials for sewing the blankets. We can use both needle-punched fabric and synthetic padding of various thicknesses. If the temperature is down to minus 5 degrees, it will be thinner; for stronger frosts, thicker," the factory explained.

For the top layer, a waterproof material is usually used, while the inner layer is made of cotton fabric. "We make it soft so it does not irritate the calf's skin and so it is comfortable. We do not use oilcloth materials that would make the animal sweat. For convenience, the blanket is made with special snap fasteners and straps to adjust the size," the enterprise said.

The initiative was supported by the Committee for Agriculture and Food of the Brest Regional Executive Committee. The southwestern region learned a lesson from last winter. Not all agricultural facilities in the region were 100% ready for extreme sub-zero temperatures. "Winter forecasts are completely different. Some sources say it will be no milder than the previous one. We must not make mistakes. One of the measures (not the main one, but an important one) in conditions of abnormally low temperatures is the production of blankets for calves," noted the regional agriculture and food committee.

Blankets are recommended for newborn calves to protect them from hypothermia. "A calf up to one month old has an underdeveloped thermoregulation center in the brain. It cannot regulate its body temperature, so hypothermia, like overheating, sets in very quickly. A small calf is very dependent on the ambient temperature. A blanket helps it avoid spending extra energy on keeping itself warm. It allows the calf to grow and develop actively," the specialists emphasized.

The Brest region is taking serious measures to strengthen the material and technical base for keeping calves. In particular, this year plans call for the construction of 36 and reconstruction of 17 calf nurseries. It is planned that by 2027, all calves in the region will be housed in modern conditions.

"We aim to build calf houses to automate all processes. They include a feed kitchen with all the necessary equipment. We intend to equip the calf houses with milk pasteurizers, milk taxis, and equipment for automatic washing of utensils. In several farms, we are building advanced calf houses according to an individual design made on the instructions of the leadership of the Brest Regional Executive Committee," added the Committee on Agriculture and Food. Such approaches reduce manual human labor. This allows specialists to focus more on calf care.