P2d: Facility Design for Cow Comfort

Heat stress is a profound issue in the New South Wales and the broader Australian dairy industry. Cows in hot, humid conditions eat less, resulting in reduced milk production and loss of bodyweight, potentially leading to health and reproductive challenges.

Australian dairy farmers use a range of strategies to manage their herds in hot, humid weather. These include fans, sprinklers and management adjustments to diet, mating and daily routine.

This project aims to uncover the most effective ways to prevent or minimise the effects of hot, humid weather on dairy cows.

Benefits

The findings will provide a clearer understanding of the acute and long-term “lag” effects of heat stress on dairy cattle. This information will also better equip farmers to manage and plan for heat stress events, including the days following.

Better heat stress management will also improve dairy cow health, reproduction, production, and welfare. This will make a positive contribution to the profitability of NSW dairy businesses and reinforce NSW dairy farmers’ social license to operate.

In addition, identifying the heat mitigation strategies which are best suited to specific dairy systems will support the development and improvement of management approaches and facility design.

Progress