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You’re familiar with
traditional heat stress management techniques. Mostly they’re
physical things like: providing shade and easy access to water; cooling
fans and sprinklers; or modifying holding pens leading to the parlor.
But did you know there’s
also a simple nutritional step you can take to help minimize the effects
of heat stress? Keep your herd performing more efficiently and
productively through the hot months simply by feeding Diamond V®
XP Yeast Culture.
Keep
your cows on feed to fight the effects of heat stress. You’ve
seen dramatic decreases in milk production during hot and humid weather.
Fermentation of feedstuffs in the rumen creates heat. So naturally, cows
will tend to eat less in hot, humid conditions. However, a cow’s
energy requirement for lactation is unchanged. When cows’ feed
consumption goes down, production of volatile fatty acids in the rumen
decreases, and milk production can really take a hit.
Losses in milk production
are not just temporary. Heat stress can affect the entire
lactation, causing losses of 5, 10, even 20 pounds of milk per cow per
day for each day left in the current lactation. What’s more, heat
stress can cause problems with breeding, calving, and even prove fatal
when the temperature reaches 100°F with 80% humidity.
Take the stress out of
the heat, keep your cows eating and energized with Diamond V XP
Yeast Culture. Decreased forage intake disrupts optimal volatile fatty
acid synthesis in the rumen and can cause acidosis and reduce fat
content in milk.
Provide your herd with
rations they want to eat. You can improve feed palatability and help
cows maintain consistent levels of dry matter intake with Diamond V
Yeast Culture. It’s also a rich nutrient source for rumen microbes.
Diamond V Yeast Culture optimizes the functionality of microbes in the
rumen which helps improve the digestibility of feedstuffs. Improved
digestibility, even if they consume less dry matter, helps cows get the
most out of each feeding – and that helps sustain milk production and
prevent further complications in reproductive performance.
The ideal temperature
range for dairy cattle is between 25° and 65° F. According to
university research, heat stress can start at temperature and humidity
levels as low as 75°F and 75% humidity. Once the temperature goes above
80° F cows will reduce feed intake. At 90° F or above, you can usually
notice a dramatic decrease in milk production.
Humidity also plays a
significant part in heat stress. There are three
temperature-humidity ranges of concern. A temperature of 100°F and 20%
humidity is the range in which you should begin serious measures to ease
the stress on your herd.
The danger worsens as the
temperature nears 100°F and 50% humidity, and heat stress becomes
lethal at 100° F and 80% humidity. The effect of daily temperature
varies depending on humidity and the amount of time cows are exposed to
stressful temperatures. Click here to view the University of Arizona PDF
Heat
Stress Chart.
Program your cows to
minimize the effects of heat stress. Begin feeding Diamond V Yeast
Culture at least three weeks prior to the onset of hot, humid weather.
Extensive research shows that feeding a yeast culture product helps cows
deal with heat stress by promoting palatability and increasing
ration digestibility.
The effectiveness of
Diamond V Yeast Culture has been demonstrated in numerous feeding
trials conducted over many years and under varying conditions. Diamond V
Yeast Culture is a research proven, all natural and fully fermented
yeast culture feed ingredient.
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