Heat stress in dairy cows is a timely topic. Recent research coupled with dairy producer experiences show impacts on the milking cows’ milk production, as well as a developing calf inside a heat-stressed dry cow.
Source: Dairy Herd Management, June 21, 2017.
A phenomenon called fetal programming means the DNA of the calf born from a dam who was heat stressed is permanently changed to be metabolically different from her cooled peers. Considering the immediate effect on the cow’s milk production plus the future impact on the unborn fetus, heat stress is beginning to compete as one of the most costly issues in the dairy industry.