Could heat stress be reducing your yields?

摘要

Some like it hot - cows don't. Research in tropical countries has shown that soaring temperatures lead to a reduction in milk yield, depressed solids content and a lower reproductive efficiency. Some herds could suffer significant losses, simply because their cows are too hot. Heat stress is not just caused by the environment - high levels of milk production also contribute by raising metabolic rates within the cow and Australian studies have shown that concentrates can increase the heat load. Combined with high humidity levels, these factors can not only suppress performance, but also result in a very stressed animal more prone to disease.