Research from dairy scientist Sha Tao reveals two important takeaways about the negative impact of heat stress on milking cows and growth performance in dairy calves:
- When cows are exposed to a temperature-humidity index above 68, milk production levels begin to decrease
- Feeding large amounts of milk replacer twice per day, may not be a valid option to improve calf performance
Source: Feedstuffs, August 15, 2019. Link.
. . . reduced milk production caused by heat stress leads to a $2 billion annual loss in the U.S.
Also see: Heat Index Calculator, National Weather Service. Link. Enter temperature, humidity values to get heat index.
Also see: Heat Index Calculator & Charts, iWeatherNet, July 21, 2019. Link. Hard to find printable charts cover full ranges of both temperature and humidity including dew point temperatures.
INSIGHTS: Tao’s research results provide usable information for dairy operations. The charts and calculators are handy tools to share with individual dairy operators.