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Cows speak #8 : Thermal stress

Event25/06/2020

Can themral stress be limited for the cows' comfort?

As we explained in the last "Cow Talk", heat stress has a real impact on the herd. Many solutions exist, but how can we evaluate their effectiveness?

In this farm, the first heat wave was very strong:

  • Decreased ingestion (-40% of ingestion time)
  • Artificially increased rumination (+20% rumination time)
  • 4 litres of milk lost per cow!

The breeder, aware of the impact on the behaviour of his animals, decided to install fans.

During the second heat wave, hotter (higher THI) there was:

  • A much smaller decrease in ingestion (-20%)
  • A much smaller increase in rumination (+10%)
  • An increase in lying time
  • 0.5 litres less milk

Thanks to the Medria tool, we can monitor the overall well-being of the herd during different stresses and the appropriateness of the processes implemented to mitigate the impacts of these stresses.