Is Extreme Heat the New Norm?

Record-breaking heatwaves to become a regular summer occurrence? Look to your dairy shed

New Scientist points out that our recent record-breaking heat wave might become what passes for normal summer weather. With various parts of the country reporting record highs, it seems likely that “hottest ever” days are going to be on the rise.  And the duration of heatwaves also seems to be increasing.

The University of New South Wales says the new trend in super-hot summer temperatures is a result of climate change, and we can expect this kind of weather in just about any El Nino summer. Back in 2014, the Climate Council of Australia noticed this trend in its climate research, reporting longer, hotter and more frequent heatwaves.

Farmers hardest hit

The implications affect just about everyone. This time around, several people had to be hospitalized after blacking out owing to too much air-conditioning, and if office workers are taking strain, you can be sure that farmers will take much more.

More bushfires will only be part of the problem. After all, extreme temperatures like these will affect crops and livestock, and we may need to pay serious attention to cooling off cattle and other livestock if we don’t want to lose production owing to heat stress.

Dairy cattle are particularly hard hit, and providing ample supplies of fresh water and shade for the animals will become an increasingly important management challenge.

Cooling off cattle

Agricultural extension officers agree that ensuring that feeding and watering areas are well-shaded will be a big help, and when cattle are in dairy sheds, good air circulation will be important. Although this can be achieved with fans, natural ventilation through the sides of the building is the most economical. Misting, when used in moderation will also make a difference, and research showed that cooled off cattle with shade and misting ate 63 to 100 percent more than cattle that weren’t cooled.

More than just a couple of days of heat

In the past, short heat waves weren’t really an issue, but with parts of NSW experiencing 50 days of scorching temperatures, and the possibility of other parts of the country having equally long heatwaves in the future, it’s time to start thinking about how we’ll keep dairy cattle productive in extreme weather.

ABC News reports that a lot of farmers are using shading and misting for dairy cattle and even poultry producers are opting for misting. As for food producers, they’re not the happiest of farmers right now, with one vegetable grower labelling the current harvest as the worst he’s ever seen. While some are speculating that moving to more tropical crops could present a solution, livestock farmers have fewer options.

Not yet an apocalypse

Although most farmers have seen declines in production and are speculating on what to do if heatwaves like the last one become a regular occurrence, it’s not an agricultural apocalypse yet. Being prepared is the first step, and for dairy cattle, that means access to shade, misting, plenty of fresh water and a well-ventilated dairy shed.

Although we can’t help with all of these, our naturally ventilated milking sheds are a favourite among farmers and their livestock.

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