Energy balance during warm weather

In the coming weeks, we will discuss the most important topics concerning energy and metabolism with our Technical Specialists in four separate articles. The fact that energy is important for your herd is probably clear to you, but how can you best address this during hot weather conditions?      

Energy is very important for a cow and is the fuel for the body. The available energy is distributed based on priority processes. Therefore, if there is too little energy intake or energy is allocated to health challenges, there will be consequences. These include reduced performance in the areas of production, growth, fertility and immunity. In warm weather conditions, the risk of health challenges is always higher. We are here to help you and your herd through the warm periods. In this article we discuss some points of attention.   

Effects of hot weather

Temperatures from 18 degrees Celsius onwards can already have an effect on your cows. They often have a reduced feed intake. As a result, milk production will drop. We listed the indicators you need to take into account. However, these indicators depend on the temperatures and your cow’s history: 

• Feeding time: We recommend a total feeding time of between 4-9 hours. 
• Ruminating time: We recommend a total ruminating time of between 4-10 hours. 
• Chewing time: We recommend a total chewing time of around 16 hours. 
• Ruminations: We recommend a minimum of 60 ruminations. 

If a cow is impacted due to the weather, this will affect the rumen, claws, udder and fertility. Officially, impact occurs around a THI (temperature and humidity) index of 68. If the THI exceeds 68, it becomes more difficult for a cow to cool down its body. She then uses all available energy to cool down the body. You can see this in a cow when she is panting, sweating, drooling or breathing faster. You will also often see that a cow will eat less in order to keep the temperature in the stomach as low as possible. After all, the metabolism makes the cow heat up. 

Results after application of AHV Booster solution  

The graph below shows when and what results are expected and desired when an AHV Booster solution is administered. Results will vary from cow to cow depending on her status and history. Here you can see the data of an AHV farmer:

Example of Booster Tablet deployment: