How to Reduce Heat Stress in Holstein Friesian Cow in India ?
DR AMIT BHARDWAJ,PUNE
Pure Holstein Friesian cows are considered the best dairy cow in the world so here in India, its demand is very high. As India ranks as the highest milk producing nation in the world that’s why dairy business is very common in India but we lack in management skills related to dairy business and our farmers or dairyman are unaware of cow’s health and issues. As Holstein Friesian is a sensitive cow. She needs a good environment and weather, but that does not mean that we cannot take care of this breed here in India. Our farmers just need to do little effort to make a good environment in less investment.
All cow’s health, milk production, feed intake gets effected during hot weather. Feed intake usually declines in summers which eventually reduce energy which in return is needed by a cow to produce good quality milk. There are many easy and affordable ways to make your cow happy in hot weather. You must need to focus on:
1- Protecting Cows from Direct Sunlight
Shades protecting cows from sunlight
By providing adequate shades to your cows make them happy as direct sunlight add heat load to the cow. Also, overcrowding under the shades creates suffocation which increases stress on the animal.
2- Fans and Sprinklers.
The biggest mistake that farmers or farm managers do is to sprinkle water through fans into free stalls. Which creates cow’s health issues like the most common mastitis, feed spoilage. Sprinkling water is very good for cows. But in a desired limited area so that other areas must not suffer where water is not wanted.
3- Providing Unlimited Clean, Cool Water
Cows drinking fresh water
Fresh Water is the most important nutrient for the cow. It should always be accessible, should be fresh and uncontaminated. Research shows that cool drinking water helps to reduce the heat load of the cow and improves feed intake.
4- Last but not least – Supplementation
Give Glucose and Vitamin C supplements to your cows in their drinking water. It helps to make them heat resistant. Where Glucose supplements help their body to produce vitamin C of its own. By using good management techniques, stress on high yielding lactating Holstein Friesian dairy cows can be reduced and well maintained during hot weather in India too.
https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g3620
