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Summer's high temperatures
and oppressive humidity can singe your herd with the intensity of a
fire-breathing dragon. As the heat stress worsens, the animal's core
body temperature starts to rise as measured by rectal temperature. If a
cow is hot, she can sweat but she can't sweat enough to sufficiently
reduce her core temperature.
Managing Against The Heat
Stress Dragon
Although heat stress is
unavoidable in severe weather conditions, there are a number of
effective management techniques that can help you minimize the effects
of heat stress. Naturally, some are common sense practices. But other
techniques, such as fine-tuning the ration with Diamond V Yeast Culture
may be new to your operation. By using a combination of ration and
environmental modifications, you can help keep your herd performing more
efficiently and productively through the hot months of the year.
Help The Herd Perform Under
Stress
Extensive research shows
that feeding a yeast culture product helps cows deal with heat stress by
promoting dry matter intake and increasing ration digestibility. Diamond
V Yeast Culture is a research-proven, all-natural, and fully-fermented
yeast culture feed ingredient. By including Diamond V Yeast Culture in
the herd’s ration, heat stressed animals can benefit in several
different ways.
Diamond V Yeast Culture in
the ration improves feed palatability, aiding the consistency of dry
matter intake. By providing the herd with feed they really go for, you’ll
be doing what you can to keep appetites up during hot, humid conditions.
Improve Feed
Digestibility
Diamond V Yeast Culture is a rich nutrient source for rumen bacteria. By
nurturing the rumen bacteria and optimizing their function, Diamond V
Yeast Culture helps improve the digestibility of ration ingredients. So
even as appetites decrease in hot weather, improved digestibility makes
more of what the cows eat available for production and reproduction.
Proven Results
The effectiveness of Diamond V Yeast Culture has been demonstrated in
numerous feeding trials conducted over many years and under varying
conditions. As evidence of Diamond V Yeast Culture’s influence on milk
production during heat stress conditions, the results of two
representative feeding trials are illustrated here.
- An effective prevention program
includes changes in the ration and environment.
- Prevention program results are
measured by reduced declines in production, rather than by
"true" production increases.
- Diamond V Yeast Culture is an
important part of a prevention program.
- Begin feeding Yeast Culture at least
three weeks prior to heat stress conditions.
- Ration modifications:
- Consult a nutrition professional
for recommendations
- Feed high quality forage to
promote digestion and consumption.
- Add Diamond V Yeast Culture to
further enhance feed digestibility and palatability.
- Increase buffer levels.
- Add fat and reduce starch for
additional energy.
- Ensure that plenty of high quality
water is available.
- Environmental modifications:
- Use sprinklers and fans in holding
pens.
- Have water available after milking
on the way out of the parlor.
- Reduce competition at waterers.
"Boss" cows hang around waterers and bully smaller
cows while they're drinking.
- If possible, install shades,
sprinklers and/or fans over cows while eating.
- Consider ways to cool animals
while resting. Cows need to spend hours lying down and
ruminating. Rumination produces saliva; saliva buffers the
rumen and helps cows eat more.
- Spring is a good time to upgrade
cow comfort in free stalls.
- For dry cows, shading is
important.
- Cooling ponds are becoming widely
recognized as a significant way to cool animals in Southern
climates.
- Effective cooling can be easy and
economical.
Why Environment and Ration
Modifications Should be Used Together
To reduce the severity of production
declines caused by heat stress, the primary goal is to help cows eat
more feed. Diamond V Yeast Culture and better forage quality will
help accomplish that goal. However, the digestion of feed produces
heat which cows must get rid of. Therefore, even if consumption
and digestion are enhanced, the benefits will be short lived if the cows
are not cooled. This is why it is necessary to combine both
environmental and ration modifications for maximum prevention program
results.
The High Cost of Heat Stress
Problems
While you've surely seen how hot,
humid weather can reduce feed intake and decrease milk production, it's
important to recognize just how significant the costs of heat stress can
be. According to nutrition experts, heat stress not only lowers
production temporarily, it can also cause a permanent decrease in
production for the remainder of lactation -- resulting in a loss of 5,
10 or even 20 pounds of milk per day per cow for each day left in the
current lactation. Furthermore, heat stress can cause breeding
problems, calving problems, and trouble with retained placentas.
When Should You Worry About
Heat Stress?
Actually, sooner than some producers
think. The effect of daily temperature varies depending on
humidity and the amount of time cows are exposed to stressful
temperatures. According to university research, heat stress can
start at temperature and humidity levels as low as 75° Fahrenheit
and 75% humidity. So obviously, at 95° F and 75% humidity,
heat stress is severe. Click here to view the University of Arizona PDF Heat
Stress Chart. |
