A proactive approach to keeping your cows cool can deliver significant improvements in both feed consumption and milk productivity. There are other benefits as well which Eagle Direct can help you to realise on your farm.
With summer now fast approaching, ensuring your livestock have access to shade is the first step in managing their heat load. Over the last 12 months we have seen more dairy barns and shade areas built on farms across the Eastern States than ever before.
Evaporative cooling is then the most effective way to reduce core body temperature in your animals. The most cost efficient and crucial locations that we can focus these cooling efforts is in the holding yard and along the feed bunk. To design a system that will work on your farm to make the biggest difference, there’s a number of things we’ll need to know including:
- Your herd’s susceptibility to heat stress based on location, breed, milk production level and age profile
- Climactic conditions on your farm
- Existing shade or barn structures
- Water & power supply to farm
- Feeding system currently employed (if you’re using a hybrid or full TMR ration and therefore do not graze cows over summer, then tree shade in paddocks is irrelevant)
- How many times a day you milk your cows
It’s clear that your evaporative cow cooling system needs to be designed specifically for your farm as your farm is unique. At Eagle Direct we work with cow cooling experts across the globe who we will ensure you have access to to design your solution.
Ventilation & cooling go hand in hand. Soaking or fogging are great ways to focus immediate cooling where cows spend their time and where they are in close proximity to each other. High pressure fogging produce water droplets so fine that they’re able to quickly evaporate and immediately begin cooling when activated. Rapid evaporation keeps animals, their bedding and their environment dry to prevent disease.
Fans circulate this cool water across and around the cow’s bodies preventing any build up in heat stress. Eagle Direct supplies VES designed & manufactured ventilation systems which use direct drive fans that pull fresh air into the structure, directs the air in waves to cow level, and then removes the dirty, heated air.
Once again it’s not just as simple as installing a few fans and turning them on. To maximise their effectiveness there’s a bunch of factors such as:
- Number & size of fans
- Prevailing winds on your farm + orientation of your barn/s
- Power supply
- Height & angle of fans
- Automation
Fresh air keeps your cows’ body temperature down, keeps bedding dry, helps prevent diseases from pneumonia to mastitis, and deters pests without chemicals. You’ll get more milk, more consistent reproduction, and lower health costs.
Call Eagle Direct today and talk to us about your current farm setup. We’d love to make sure you and your cows are ready for summer.