Hot weather can bring a long list of problems for dairy producers. When cows are heat stressed, they eat less, produce less milk, have reduced immune function and higher somatic cell counts, and show reduced fertility. A spike in lameness often follows the hot season. In severe heat waves, cows can even die. In addition to the economic burden, the discomfort from heat stress also reduces animal welfare.
Learn to abate heat stress in dairy facilities
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The standing cows have stringy drool, and the lying cow is breathing heavily with her mouth open and tongue out. Those are all signs of panting, an indication of severe heat stress.
In a naturally ventilated barn, fans above the stalls direct fast-moving air over the cows while they rest.
In a mechanically cross-ventilated barn, baffles above the stalls passively push air downward onto the cows where they lie down.
Infrared photograph of a dairy cow following low-pressure soaking from an overhead shower, with the cooler colors indicating areas with lower temperatures.