Editorial: Battle lines drawn
OPINION: Climate change is shaping up to be one of the major issues at next year's general election.
If the climate heats up, humans will increasingly suffer from rising temperatures. But how will climate change affect cows?
Turns out more heat can be harmful to dairy cows.
In recent year, US scientists have found links between human-caused climate change and heat stress, which can lower milk production and lead to diseases and other issues in dairy cows.
Cows eat less when they're hot - a factor researchers believe leads to a 50% drop in milk production. But those drops in production can reach up to 70% in hot weather.
In a search to account for the other 20%, researchers conducted a trial with 48 Holstein cows housed in temperature-controlled stalls. The research was published in the Journal of Dairy Science.
