July 21, 2022

 

UK farmers trial idea of bringing cattle indoors to protect milk output

 

Farmers in the UK are experimenting with bringing their herds indoors into the shade to protect milk output and safeguard their livestock's welfare, The Guardian reported.

 

The idea of indoor "siestas" for cows that might typically be grazing outdoors in the summer is one of the new measures being considered by an increasing number of UK farmers to adapt their farms to protect animals against heat stress.

 

Cattle, especially modern dairy cows, which can produce 10-15% less milk in hotter temperatures, are highly susceptible to heat stress. Additionally, it may affect their fertility and raise the risk of miscarriage in the first trimester.

 

Ed Bailey, from George Farm Vets in Wiltshire, said the fermentation tank inside cattle's bodies constantly produces a lot of heat, which makes them very sensitive to heat.

 

Dairy cows, especially those of higher-yielding breeds, are less adapted to heat stress while sheep are shorn of their wool and beef cattle are not as metabolically active. The majority of swine and poultry are kept indoors, though there is a sizable outdoor swine herd in the UK.

 

There has been a push to allow as much of the dairy herd in the UK to graze outside during the summer. Tom Chamberlain, a veterinarian and farming consultant, said that the industry is gradually realising that being outside on grass is not always a good thing.

 

Chamberlain is working with farmers who are testing the practise of bringing their cattle inside during the day. He said that once the temperature rises above 20°C, cows begin to suffer.

 

Spanish agricultural workers needed a break during the hottest part of the day, hence the siesta's creation. Similar to this, cattle are now allowed outside following morning milking before being brought inside into barns for lunch and then being allowed outside once more following afternoon milking. Chamberlain said they will consume grass as long as it is still light.

 

Bailey said buildings can provide cattle with a cooler environment and can be enhanced with proper ventilation, fans, and sprinklers. Other strategies for preventing heat stress include once-daily milking to lessen the strain of walking to and from the milking parlour, transportable sheds to take livestock out into fields during times of heat stress, and maximising tree shade.

 

In addition to using shade and cooling methods, Bailey suggests that farmers think about delaying calving until the summer to reduce the metabolic and physical activity of cows during the hottest months. In contrast, he asserts that uncommon breeds like Jersey cows are more resistant to heat stress.

 

-      The Guardian