ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE July 2023 41 temperatures while standing packed into tight areas during high THI periods. Soakers and fans play an essential role in ensuring both cooling and adequate ventilation in these close quarters. SUPPLY COOL, CLEAR WATER Evaporative cooling can help remove heat from cows and alleviate heat stress, but providing large amounts of cool, clear water is also key. Consider these points when providing water to cows: • Provide ample and readily available access to water troughs by creating five linear inches of trough space per cow and ensure cows are never more than 50 feet from a water source. • Keep troughs clean, but don’t over chlorinate. Cows are creatures of smell and will avoid water troughs with a strong chlorine smell. • Set the proper float level to allow for maximum fill. One of the best things you can do to provide cows with an ample supply of water when they want it most is to install a water source in the parlor return lane. Cows will consume 30%-50% of their daily water needs within an hour after milking, so nearly every cow will stop to drink when walking away from the parlor. The process will also improve feed intake when she gets back to the feed bunk. TUNE UP YOUR NUTRITION STRATEGY Just like your cooling equipment needs the occasional tune-up, so does your nutrition strategy. Cows are prone to potassium deficiencies during heat stress. Although milk is known for high levels of calcium, potassium levels are actually higher. Potassium is also the main component of sweat and cows lose it quickly through increased perspiration and urination during hot weather. Fresh cows require higher levels of dietary potassium, and research shows that cows are often potassium deficient for the first 10 weeks of lactation. That’s why it’s important to feed supplemental potassium. Achieving a positive DCAD (Dietary Cation-Anion Difference) level and increasing the potassium component can help replace what is lost during milk production. Increasing potassium level to 1.7%-2% in high-producing and fresh cow diets helps maximize production and improve cow starts during heat stress. Potassium sources such as DCAD Plus from Arm & Hammer™ have the potential to boost fat-corrected milk production by as much as 8.5 pounds per day. In addition to increasing levels of dietary potassium, adding yeast, buffers and energy density to the ration can also play an important role in mitigating the impact of heat stress. It is possible to help your cows beat the heat. With evaporative cooling techniques and water can help minimize heat gain. And ensuring your ration is properly formulated can reduce the stress placed on cows from warm weather. Together, these strategies can help optimize milk production in the face of heat stress. Research available on request. About Dr Ruby Wu Dr. Ruby Wu has extensive experience across the dairy industry, including her current role as dairy technical services manager at Arm & Hammer Animal and Food Production. Dr. Wu holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science from China Agricultural University, a master’s degree in dairy nutrition from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. in animal science-dairy nutrition, also from the University of Georgia.
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