The summer heat is upon us. As many readers are aware, we can monitor and anticipate changes to the dairy herd when the temperature-humidity index (THI) begins to climb above the comfort zone of 68
Dairy farmers invest a considerable amount of money and effort in fans, sprinklers, shade, and other animal-cooling methods in order to avoid the reduced productivity and well-being that comes from heat...
For decades, dairy producers have recognized the struggle their herds experience through the summer months. Heat stress has been known to negatively impact milk yield as much as 40% if the heat and humidity
A growing number of research studies show that heat stress during the dry period impacts milk production in the subsequent lactation, and not in a good way
Late gestation is one of the critical points of pregnancy when any positive or negative event that occurs can cause long-term effects on the fetus after birth
This summer was Earth’s hottest on record. For dairy cattle around the world and the farmers that take care of them, that heat made producing high-quality milk more challenging
The very best way to determine if your heat abatement tools are working is to ask the cows. During an Iowa State University Extension webinar, Jennifer Van Os shared signs that help evaluate the effectiveness...
The days are already getting a little shorter as we enter this late summer stretch, but for many across the United States, the temperatures are showing no hint of fall
Last week, Wisconsin experienced some pretty high temperatures that seem to be sticking around. I heard the phrase, “You should be used to the heat since you’re from the south,” multiple...
Certain signs of heat stress are relatively easy to notice by simply looking around the barn – rapid breathing or panting, cows bunching, and reduced feed intake, for instance
A common misconception is that calves don’t experience heat stress. They are more tolerant of heat than other age groups of cattle but can still experience heat stress losses from in utero