With heat indexes across the commonwealth soaring above 100 degrees F this calendar month , livestock involve to be close monitored to preclude health and production job .
“ Dairy moo-cow will specially be bear upon by a live calendar week , ” says Ted Funk , agriculture engineering medical specialist with the University of Illinois Extension . “ If producers do n’t promise problems in spicy weather , cows could go off provender , develop lessmilkand even experience reproductive loser . ”
Dairy farmers need to focalize on three priorities to keepcowscool : shade , air flow rate and water .
The most critical degree of the day tomonitor hotness stressis when cows are in the holding pen , where they endure the most stress , Funk says . Dairy farmers should be especially cognizant to provide shade , fans for airflow and water sprinklers for the cows during this part of the day .
“ By putting sprinkler on cow and drying off the water with increased airwave flow , we can keep cow fair productive , ” Funk says . “ As you move cows inside the b , endeavor to approach the ambient temperatures outside . Inside the b , the dew point will be mellow because you are evaporating moisture from the surfaces and cows are perspiring . You require enoughair flow in the barnto approach what ’s chance outside . That ’s the best you’re able to do . ”
Funk advises producers to use gravid drops of weewee to splash cow — not Mr. or fog . For cows on pasture , provide shadowiness structures when possible .
“ cow in the Lord’s Day will engross quite a bit more heat than a moo-cow in subtlety , ” he says . “ Once cows overheat , it takes minute for them to cool down off because they have more mass . You want to keep the cooling system going long after the Sunday go down to get them back to normal temperatures . ”
Dairy farmer can look at the dew point , the measuring rod of moisture in the line , to determine if the day will be perilously hot or manageable . Manageable conditions can be anticipate if dew point remain below 70 , Funk say . When dew point are at this level , there ’s enough cool down potential to keep cows comfortable and rich .
“ The high the dew item , the less cooling potential you have with water vapor , ” he says . “ When we get dew points in the Sir David Alexander Cecil Low to mid-70s , that ’s very grave . But at 68 or 69 , we can handle it if we are prepare . ”
Providing enough drinking water is important , too . Cows can double over their inhalation of water in summer versus the winter , Funk says . High - producing cows may drink more than 30 congius of water a day , so it ’s crucial to check that the body of water system can produce not only enough cooling water but also enough drunkenness water supply .
“ Producers should be mindful that if the dew point increases during periods of high temperatures , they will have to work even hard to keep the cows cool , ” Funk says .
