Impacts of heat stress
- Reduced milk yield
- Lower conception rate
- Increased incidence of abortion
- Compromised immune system function
- Increased risk of acidosis and mastitis
- Impaired rumen function and increased energy requirement for maintenance
In the UK, temperatures of 20-25oC will commonly trigger symptoms, but heat stress can occur at any time of the year. For example, cows housed in poorly ventilated or over-crowded conditions will struggle to dissipate their own body heat, leading to discomfort, increased breathing rate, increased drinking and reduced activity.
In these conditions, the herd will be at risk even if the outside temperature is significantly below the 20oC threshold. Therefore, although it is a good idea to scrutinise the weather forecast and to measure the temperature inside cattle sheds, neither will provide an accurate assessment of the risk caused by high stocking density, high relative humidity or low air flow through the cubicle shed.
Early warning signs spell danger
As herd sizes increase, and farm staff become busier, visual inspections to identify the warning signs associated with heat stress aren’t always a priority. As a result, more herd managers are turning to technology to determine when their cows are in danger of succumbing to heat stress.
As well as monitoring rumination patterns and activity levels of dairy cattle to assess their general well-being and to identify the tell-tale signs of heat events, SenseHub can also detect heavy breathing or panting. By analysing this respiration data in conjunction with the animal’s activity and rumination records, SenseHub is able to provide an early warning that the effects of heat stress have started to take hold.
The necessary steps to reduce the impact of hot weather on the herd – such as turning on ventilation fans, setting up water sprinklers, or delaying afternoon milking to reduce the amount of time animals spend on the collecting yard during the day’s hottest hours – can then be implemented before symptoms intensify.
It is then possible to use SenseHub to assess the impact of these interventions and to monitor how effective they have been in reducing the symptoms of heat stress and aiding recovery.
Knowing which animals require additional attention due to excessively warm and/or humid conditions also enables staffing resources to be targeted more effectively, giving time back to herd managers, their staff and their families.
Find out more
To find out more about how SenseHub could prevent your herd from succumbing to the effects of heat stress, please call the SenseHub team on 01207 265840 or
