Ranchers lost millions of dollars of cattle in the recent California heat wave. Economic losses from lost milk production will continue into future years. Once a cow drops production due to heat stress, she never attains prior production levels.

However, ranchers with contained cattle misting systems did not lose even one cow. Cattle cooling saved their animals. With the downturn in milk prices, every gallon counts. How will you fare in future summers?

Economic losses are incurred by the US livestock industries because farm animals are raised in locations and seasons where effective temperature conditions venture outside their zone of thermal comfort.

The dairy industry suffers losses each year due to unmanaged or ineffectively managed heat stress. Dairy animals are raised in all climates and seasons. The envelope of comfortable body temperature, when exceeded, decreases profit for dairy management. Some indicators of heat stress are decreased performance, decreased reproduction and increased mortality. Decreased performance represents reduced intake, reduced milk production and reduced growth.

Heat abatement is an important issue in dairy planning. Dairy managers must consider cattle flow, initial dairy construction cost, maintenance costs, herd management and heat abatement (dairy cooling).

Losses to the dairy industry likely total in the hundreds of millions of dollars each year, in the states of Texas, California, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and North Carolina. In California, new requirements from the Air Board increased the importance of dairy barn design, freestall designs and air quality.

Natural Environmental Solutions has the answer!

Send questions to Western Dairy Design Associates, Inc.
ddesigner@dairydesigners.com

references: American Dairy Science Association, Journal of Dairy Science, A hundred years of family experience with cattle.