Dairy Cattle in Mississippi
Reducing heat stress
The most common methods of reducing heat stress are in the area of cooling and changes in cow's diets. There is no easy route to the resolution of heat stress in high producing dairy cows. The high humidity in most of the southeast intensifies heat stress and reduces options for cooling cows. However there are management procedures and cooling methods available to enhance feed intake and milk yield of heat stressed cows. Some of these are listed below.
1) Provide shade to protect cows from direct sunlight. 2) Take advantage of evaporative cooling at all times. Fans and sprinklers is the most effective method in the southeast. 3) Feed during the cooler period of the day when the cow is most comfortable. 4) Increase the number of feedings to promote greater intake and maintain fresher fee. 5) Adjust the ration to provide adequate protein, energy, minerals and vitamins-giving consideration to the lower dry matter intake. Supplemental fat such as oilseeds should be used. 6) Feed high quality forages. 7) Increase the level of potassium to 1.3-1.5 percent of total ration dry matter; sodium to 0.35-0.40 percent; magnesium to 0.35 percent. 8) Balance the undegradable and degradable protein, especially to high producing cows. 9) Provide unlimited clean, fresh water for the lactating herd at all times.
