DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ wrap up M. bovis compensation support after $161M in claims
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
As the hot weather starts to kick in around the country, DairyNZ has put out a special plea to farmers to protect themselves from the heat and also to ensure that their cows are kept cool.
Jacqueline McGowan, who’s an expert in heat stress, says the ways of mitigating the effects of heat are similar for both cows and people – the difference being that cows prefer temperatures below 20 degrees Celsius whereas humans can cope with it being a little warmer – up to 24 degrees.
She says the first sign that a cow is suffering from heat stress is when it starts to breathe more. She says if the cow breathes less than seven times in ten seconds, it is okay, but over ten times, it’s in trouble.
“Unlike humans they can’t sweat all that much and so for evaporative cooling they breath more. They will stand up more, sometimes gather in groups with their heads down, drink more and they will eat less. That reduces the metabolic heat that they are producing, but the consequence of that is that they reduce their milk production,” she says.
McGowan says over the last few decades science has enabled researchers to realise that cows actually feel warm at cooler temperatures than was previously thought. She says a NZ scientist did some research in 2008, which established the temperature humidity index (THI) that shows cows like to access shade that comes at around 64 THI – the equivalent of around to 20 to 21 degrees depending on the humidity.
“A lot of this is related to the biology of the cow. They are really big animals which means they are producing a lot of heat and have less skin relative to their size to get rid of the heat.
“They are also ruminants, so that process of digesting grass produces a lot of heat and then on top of that, like humans, when they are lactating, which means they are running much hotter, they have more metabolic heat to get rid of,” she says.
For cows, seeking shade is their preferred way of keeping cool, but McGowan says on many dairy farms, shade is not as available as it used to be. She notes the advent of pivot irrigators, farmers fencing off bush areas and wetlands have reduced the number of trees in paddocks where cows can seek relief from the hot sun.
“Those farmers that don’t have trees in paddocks will often move their cows to a covered feed pad or maybe a small area of bush.
“They can also take them to the dairy shed and turn on the sprinklers and that will cool them down fast and last for several hours. But the fact is cows prefer shade,” she says.
Human Factors
Jacqueline McGowan, DairyNZ, says obviously more is known about the needs of people in hot weather.
She says a key message to managers is to be respectful in the way that people work and try to accommodate their needs.
"There needs to be clean drinking water in the shed. Some employers are very good to their staff and have snacks and drinks there in a fridge for them. Sunscreen should be available and everyone should wear a hat," she says.
Working in the sun can make people tired and irritable says McGowan and having good communication with staff to work out what best suits them and how this can be fitted into the daily routine of the business.
She says planning the day to avoid doing some tasks in the heat of the day is an obvious option.
"Accommodating individuals needs can also make for a positive and good work environment. For example, people with young families like to be home in the early evening while some are happy to take time off during the day and work in the evening," she says.
McGowan says the objective should be to devise a system people enjoy and not just work longer in the summer because there are more daylight hours. She says if farmers want more information on this subject they should go to the DairyNZ web site.
Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.
Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.
OPINION: Years of floods and low food prices have driven a dairy farm in England's northeast to stop milking its…
OPINION: An animal activist organisation is calling for an investigation into the use of dairy cows in sexuallly explicit content…