“Heat Stress Abatement: Prevention IS the Cure”
by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist
Summer is upon us and is promising some record temperatures and heat conditions across the Midwest, and we’re just coming into the time of greatest concern for heat stress. As beef producers and those of us who support the beef industry, it’s our duty to prepare for all the possible contingencies that summer weather can bring. So, that being said, what are the tools we have in our toolbox to be better prepared to deal with the heat?
- Pasture cattle fare better than confined cattle during heat events, provided that they can find adequate shade, elevated areas to catch more breeze, and abundant water quality and quantity to alleviate heat stress during the hottest times of the day.
- Black-hided cattle sustain the greatest challenge due to absorption of more solar radiation compared to light-hided cattle, and the problem is exacerbated in heavy, long-fed cattle. Heat stress is caused by the combination of actual temperature, high humidity, lack of wind, and lack of cloud cover.
- Shade works. Keeping solar radiation to a minimum during extreme heat events may eliminate the need for emergency intervention. Even some kind of temporary or portable shade structures which can be placed in pens prior to extreme heat events will give cattle relief and get you through the worst heat episodes.
- Wind breaks contribute to heat stress. Even if no extreme heat stress may be evident, reducing potentially cooling breezes can make cattle less likely to consume and perform up to their full potential. If wind breaks are needed for the winter, consider some form of temporary wind break which can be removed for the summer months.
- Building mounds isn’t just for during wet, muddy, conditions. Cattle will climb mounds for improved access to breezes. Cattle don’t lie: if they’re using shades and using mounds, they are probably more comfortable because of the mounds and the shades.
- Extra drinking water space may provide comfort and alleviate the demand on the water system during peak heat hours. Remember: cattle cool themselves through evaporative cooling from their lungs and this can move a tremendous volume of water which needs to be replaced. Extra water space can be in the form of steel tanks or even feed bunks with tarps and sand bags on the ends to convert part of the bunk to an extended water tank. Not only is water volume the issue, but linear access space is also critical because dominant cattle may simply stand at the water trough to breathe the cooler air directly above the water source, preventing smaller or more timid cattle from getting a needed drink. Extra tanks provide both volume and linear access space.
- Bedding a portion of the pen with straw or light-colored hay provides a reflective surface to provide cattle a cooler place to lie down and rest, thus reducing their activity and comfort during already stressful conditions.
- Sprinkling cattle may be essential during extreme heat events. Spraying cattle is costly, time-consuming, and can contribute to increased mud and humidity within the pen, but it also may be the difference between life and death for extremely heat-stressed cattle. Be hyper-vigilant for signs of extreme heat distress: open mouthed, labored, panting. Both cattle surface temperature and soil surface temperature are reduced as a result of spraying water which then evaporates, taking heat out of the surface. Have a full water truck on hand when the forecast calls for elevated temps, high humidity, minimal wind, and lack of cloud cover.
As summer heat comes at us, we all need to be prepared. Shade, extra water space, mounds to elevate cattle to catch extra breeze, and removal of wind breaks can help cattle effectively alleviate heat stress. Preparation is much more effective at reducing the costs of heat stress than interventions after extreme heat stress is obvious.
