5 minute read
Industry good – DairyNZ
from Dairy Farmer December 2021
by AgriHQ
Like humans, cows need to drink to stay cool in warmer weather so make sure you provide them with plenty of water.
Cooling the cows
Frank Portegys
Senior extension partner
December marks the official start of summer and temperatures will only continue to rise across the country in the coming months.
During summer, it can get hot and uncomfortable. Summer can get sticky for cows too and they begin to feel the heat sooner, as they prefer temperatures between 4 and 20degC.
When cows get uncomfortable in the heat, they try to stay cool the same ways humans do – they drink more, become less active and use shade where available.
When the temperature gets above 21degC, Friesian and crossbred cows also start to reduce their feed intake and produce less milk. Jersey cows cope better with warmer temperatures and don’t usually start producing less milk until the temperature reaches 25degC, although factors like high humidity and warmer night temperatures affect this.
There are some good strategies you can use to protect your cows from discomfort during summer.
Water
One of the first things to consider is your water supply. This is the easiest and cheapest way to reduce cow discomfort. If your cows are rushing to drink after milking, or the trough can’t always keep up, your cows are thirsty.
To reduce this, you should have good water supply both in the paddock and in the race way up to the shed, so cows can have a drink on the way to the paddock after milking. You will also need to check you have good flow rates, so that troughs don’t dry.
Milking times
Altering milking times so cows avoid walking in the heat of the day is another strategy to reduce cow discomfort. This not only benefits the herd but will help your farm staff feel more comfortable too.
Cooling
Sprinklers can be used over the dairy yard to wet the cows’ coats and aid evaporative cooling. You’ll need to use enough water that it runs off the cows to be effective. This is best used in conjunction with fans to help move humid air away after wetting.
Pre-cooling the yard with water before
the cows arrive and allowing them space so they aren’t too close together in the yard also helps to keep cows cool.
Shade
Using paddocks with shade from trees helps reduce heat stress in livestock. If you don’t have trees now, consider planting some to provide shade in the future.
While hotter temperatures can be more stressful for cows, many farmers are using a range of strategies to keep their cows as comfortable as possible. Now is a good time to talk to your team about what you can do to reduce heat stress amongst your herd. n
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More information is available online at dairynz.co.nz/heatstress
Dairy Diary
December 2021
December 1 – Align Farms
Align Farms Regenerative Trial Field Day. Join us on December 1 for our first field day, where we will be sharing the results of our regenerative trial to-date. RSVP for catering/covid purposes at environment@alignfarms. co.nz
December 1 – SMASH
Let’s Celebrate Dairy Pohangina Details TBC, info at www.smallerherds.co.nz
December 2 – SMASH
Spotlight on the system, Tariki. Greg and Amanda Bland are our hosts for this field day, where we are going to find out about the changes they have made and their outcomes since purchasing their farm two seasons ago. Info at www.smallerherds.co.nz
December 2 – DairyNZ
Central Plateau, Lucerne Field Day. We will have Professor Derick Moot joining us. He has spent a lifetime researching and perfecting lucerne grown in New Zealand and is currently leading Lincoln University Drylands project. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz
December 2 & 14 – DairyNZ
Your Farmer Insight report explained. DairyNZ are working with Fonterra to help farmers get the most out of their Farmer Insight reports. The insights report also provides excellent farm level information on: bulk SCC; heat stress; milking time; lameness; and mastitis. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz
December 2 – DairyNZ
GoodYarn Workshop, Taieri. GoodYarn farmer wellness workshops help participants recognise and respond appropriately to friends, family, farming colleagues or customers suffering from stress or mental illness. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz
December 2 – DairyNZ
Register interest for a South Canterbury Share Farmer group. Are you a contract milker or sharemilker who wants to be involved in a closed group focusing on business, finances and challenges being faced? We are taking expressions of interest in forming a South Canterbury Share Farmer group. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz
December 3 – 31 DairyNZ
Register interest for ongoing Contract Milker/VOSM groups. The Canterbury extension team are keen to run local Contract Milker/VOSM groups to upskill, network and benchmark with peers at a similar stage in their farming career. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz
December 7 – DairyNZ
Orepuki/Tuatapere. Milking frequencies, nitrogen use efficiency and HR systems at scale. Daniel and Kerry Manley have offered to host our next Orepuki/Tuatapere discussion group on-farm. They are in their second season contract milking for Canterbury Grasslands; 1500 cows across two properties. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz
December 7 – Dairy Women’s Network
Ohanagi Discussion Group, Taranaki Come along and check out Hollie and Owen’s new/old farm. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz
December 7 – DairyNZ
High-input discussion group, lower North Island This group is designed to look at the issues and opportunities associated with running a high-input system. It is open to all who are interested.Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz
December 8 – DairyNZ
E350 public field day, McGinty’s. If you’re a farmer or rural professional, this is your chance to find out about Northland’s Extension 350 Project at one of 10 public field days being held across the region. The project is a long-term farmer-to-farmer extension programme designed to help Northland farmers succeed Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz
