Feeling hot, hot, hot? The dog days of summer are upon us and with it comes the daily challenge of keeping cows cool. We know that heat stress is prevalent when we see things like panting, heavy breathing, increased respiration rates, more lame cows and poor conception rates. However, it really sinks in when we begin to see lower milk checks due to lower production/components. It has been estimated that the dairy industry loses $2 billion annually to heat stress. Here are a few simple things you can evaluate to improve cow comfort and profitability.
Holding Pen
When evaluating heat stress on your dairy, it is a good idea to start in the holding area. This is often the area where the most heat stress occurs. The holding is a comparatively small area and all milking cows spend time there every day, so you get a lot of bang for your buck by investing in the holding area. A little money can go a long way in alleviating heat stress in your herd. Fans and sprinklers are the most obvious tools to accomplish this. I am also a big believer in rubber matting in the holding area. Rubber matting gives cows a chance to get off the hard concrete and give their feet a little relief from already elevated standing time during periods of heat stress.
Barns
Ok, so you’ve tackled the holding area, now what about the barn? One thing that is very noticeable on a hot day is if there is a lot of bunching going on. One reason cows bunch is to defend against flies. If you notice a lot of flies around the farm, try to get rid of them. If you cannot get rid of them, consider feeding a fly control product starting in the spring and continuing through the summer. Another reason cows bunch is that they have found the coolest part of the barn. This is often next to a connecting link or by a crossover alley where the air flow is the best. Try to figure out how to better disperse air over the stalls to entice them to lay down. Air speed throughout the barn and especially at the stall level should be at least 4-6mph during the summer. Using a simple airflow meter throughout your barn can determine where the dead spots are and where you might need to rethink your cooling strategy.
Water
What about water? Water is the cows most important nutrient and even more important during times of heat stress when consumption of water increases significantly. Make sure you have the recommended 3-5 inches of linear water space/cow and multiple waterers per pen. Waterers in the holding area is also a good idea to allow cows to get a drink on their way back from the parlor.
Dry Cows
Finally, don’t forget about dry cows. There is a plethora of research showing that cooled dry cows give more milk during the next lactation and that calves that were cooled during late gestation produce more lifetime milk than their heat stressed counterparts. So, put the same intentionality and effort into cooling dry cows as you do the milking herd. This will set yourself for success in both the short term and long-term future.
In short, cooling cows is not always an easy task and it can certainly cost money. But if well planned, it is worth the investment to help increase efficiency through higher milk production and healthier animals leading to a healthier bottom line.
