Cows can be compared to a fine-tuned athlete. They require an enormous amount of energy and maintenance to stay at the highest level of production. As more energy is consumed, milk production increases. Furthermore, more heat is generated in this process. This can be an adverse effect to high milk production in the hot, humid heat of summer.
As athletes get ready for a race or competition, they spend hours preparing and practicing for the race or competition through a balanced diet, stretching, cardio, weight lifting, rest, and relaxation. Cows alike need to get ready for the heat of the summer to perform at the top. They need a balanced ration to meet their nutritional needs, clean water, and cool and comfortable living conditions.
If athletes do not properly prepare for their race or competition, there are risks associated, such as injury, fainting or dehydration. Likewise, there are various health problems for bovines associated with heat stress including: hoof problems, rumen health disorders, and poor reproductive performance. Heat stress can also reduce dry matter intake causing a decrease in milk and component production.
There are four simple ways to fine-tune your management practices for top-performing cows in the summer:
1. Balanced Diet
a. Increase energy in the diet to increase milk production. Increase grains and decrease forages in the diet. Limit grain to no more than 55 to 60 percent of the dry matter. Too much dry matter in the ration can result in lower milk fat content, acidosis, feed refusal, laminitis and less feed efficiency.
b. Increase dietary fat to increase energy content of the diet. However, dietary fat should not exceed 6 percent of the total dry matter.
c. Include succulent feeds, such as wet brewers grains, chopped forages, and silages in the ration to promote intake in the hot weather. Do not exceed 50 to 55 percent moisture in hot weather rations to prevent against restricted intake due to too much moisture.
2. Environment
a. Keeps cows shaded to promote higher milk production. Cows should have access to shade at all times to keep them cool and comfortable.
b. Provide additional cooling with fans and sprinklers to encourage feed intake and milk production. Keep the feeding area cool to promote feed intake.
c. Avoid overcrowding and allow plenty of room for cows to move around to access shade, water, food or a resting area.
3. Eating and Drinking
a. Feed during the coolest part of the day.
b. Feed smaller meals throughout the day to maintain buffering and control acid levels in the rumen. This may reduce heat generation during digestion and encourage greater feed intake.
c. Keep water available at all times to meet increased daily needs in warmer weather. Make sure water is available, clean and cool at all times.
d. Clean feed bunks daily to prevent feed spoilage.
4. Minerals
a. Amp up the level of potassium and sodium in the diet to help buffer the rumen, maintain dry matter intake and reduce the negative effects of heat stress. Cows lose potassium quickly in the heat due to increased perspiration and urination. Potassium is vital to keeping the cow cool.
Keep your cows at the top of production by implementing these management practices during the hot summer.
Source: ANC
