The summer periods are getting warmer and longer. In order to avoid the negative consequences of this, it’s important to keep cows cool. British Dairying reports.
Cows are susceptible to heat stress – and all the attendant consequences – even when temperatures are as low as 20°C.
Feed intake decreases, which in turn affects fertility, udder health and milk production. Lactating animals are important, but so are dry cows, which also suffer from heat stress and reduced feed intake. They will subsequently have lower milk production throughout the next lactation – and their unborn calves can also be affected.
Proper ventilation can help prevent the adverse effects of heat stress. But the investment costs money. So, where do you start and how do you ensure a return on investment? Are there differences between fans when it comes to energy savings and maintenance?
“Cross ventilation brings fresh air into the house, and dairy farms with fans show better results than those without,” says Wouter Grimmius at Abbi Aerotech.
“Especially noticeable are the lower somatic cell counts and mastitis incidence when fans are used, as well as higher milk production and lactation persistence – the cows’ ability to maintain milk production following peak yield.” With good natural barn ventilation and sufficient fans, preferably applied in a cross ventilation system (where fans are placed down the long building sides), producers will achieve the best results.
Cross ventilation cools cows better than other ventilation concepts, because the air moves between cows in the cubicles and at the feed fence, says Wouter. “Cross ventilation is also the only concept that simultaneously cools your cows and improves the natural ventilation of your barn.” Additional cooling with water through misting or soaking can further reduce the air temperature by 3-5°C.
A proper ventilation system with energy-efficient, direct-driven fans and full-automatic control can easily cost €1,500/fan (£1,289). But the daily costs and maintenance should also be considered, warns Wouter.
“The energy-efficient Abbifan can easily save €200-350/year (£172-300) per fan. With an energy consumption of just 0.53kWh at its highest setting – as opposed to no less than 1.1kWh by ‘cheaper’ fans on the market – this will save €313/fan (£269) annually, based on an assumed energy price of 22c/kWh (19p).
“On top of maintenance cost savings through not having to replace bearings, belts, or pulleys, this speeds up the return on investment.”