Alan Barrow
Member
- Location
- North West
Although we only usually enjoy this glorious weather for a few months a year, if we’re lucky, heat stress and its associated problems can have sad and expensive consequences on any farm. It is therefore crucial that calf buildings and management practices are set up to defend the calves against the heat,”
“For housed calves, reducing stocking rates is a quick and easy way of minimising heat stress. In the hot conditions try to make sure our stocking rate doesn’t exceed at 1.2sq.m of lying space per calf, insulated walls and roof keep calves at a optimum temperature keeping calves cool on hot days.
“Farmers should be cautious of calves becoming dehydrated when temperatures rise. It is vital calves have access to unlimited clean fresh water with water bowls with tongues in all the pens, so water is always fresh.
“In hot weather our priority is to keep calf stress levels as low as possible. We therefore try to carry out any routine jobs, like de-horning and vaccinating, first thing in the morning, when the temperature is at its lowest.
Optimum Climate Calf Barns (OCCB) cover all these details, please find OCCB webinar link
Thanks Alan
“For housed calves, reducing stocking rates is a quick and easy way of minimising heat stress. In the hot conditions try to make sure our stocking rate doesn’t exceed at 1.2sq.m of lying space per calf, insulated walls and roof keep calves at a optimum temperature keeping calves cool on hot days.
“Farmers should be cautious of calves becoming dehydrated when temperatures rise. It is vital calves have access to unlimited clean fresh water with water bowls with tongues in all the pens, so water is always fresh.
“In hot weather our priority is to keep calf stress levels as low as possible. We therefore try to carry out any routine jobs, like de-horning and vaccinating, first thing in the morning, when the temperature is at its lowest.
Optimum Climate Calf Barns (OCCB) cover all these details, please find OCCB webinar link
Thanks Alan