As temperatures rise, producers should use stress management practices. Alfredo DiConstanzo of the University of Nebraska Extension shares tips on keeping cattle cool.
“When talking about heat stress, what management is trying to do is to increase the sensible heat loss, which is if one can imagine a molecule of air trapped on the surface of the hair of an animal, that molecule must exchange the internal heat with the external condition,” explained DiConstanzo.
“So if externally we’re looking at heat on heat, then there is no exchange of heat and that heat remains in the animal. What we as managers are trying to do is enhance the exchange on that very tiny little molecule of air, if we can think about that in that manner. And the things that we have on hand, one of the most effective ones would be shade out on open feedlots,” DiConstanzo added
“We’re hoping for the cooling effect of wind. I’m pretty cautious with recommending sprinklers because they can actually make matters worse from two perspectives. We need the air movement to be able to have effectiveness of wetting the coats of these cattle,” said DiConstanzo.
Audio Reporting by Elizabeth Sanders for Southeast AgNet.