Heat stress: a practical dairy-farm checklist

Prepare for hot weather by checking drinking water, shade, ventilation and feed access before the afternoon becomes uncomfortable. Keep observations alongside milk and feed records so changes are easier to investigate. Use a falling milk total as a prompt to review the animals, water and feeding conditions together.

Edited by Ender Soyuince · About our content

2026-10-21

Compiled from open-access scientific sources.

What should you check before a hot spell?

Walk the route the cows use between resting space, water and feed. Check whether water is actually available at the busiest time, rather than assuming a full trough in the morning proves reliable supply all day. Look for blocked access, dirty drinkers and areas where animals crowd together. Check that shade covers the resting area and that fans move air where the cows stand and lie down. Maryland Extension explains the effects of heat on production and reproduction. Use your own daily observations to follow how the herd responds to hot weather and changes in cooling.

Which observations belong in the daily record?

Write down the date, group, weather conditions, feed offered, refusals and unusual behaviour. Keep the milking interval and units consistent when comparing milk totals. Record a change in water supply or cooling equipment beside the same day’s observations. That context helps distinguish an equipment problem from a change in feed or the group itself. Compare several days of milk quantities and feeding observations in HerdMobile. Check whether the change began after a hot afternoon, a drinker fault or a new feed lot. Animals showing distress or an abrupt change in intake need prompt assessment by a veterinarian.

Should you change the ration immediately?

Start by checking what was offered and what remained, and whether the feed was fresh and accessible. Review forage, water and the complete diet together when investigating reduced milk. Enter your current forage values, feed quantities and animal details in HerdMobile to calculate the daily ration from the feeds you have. Plan how changes will be monitored and who will check the animals. Keep the previous ration record available; otherwise it becomes difficult to explain which change happened before an improvement or decline.

Questions from the farm

What should I check around the troughs?

Check cleanliness, flow and access during the busiest hours. Record the time and any equipment problem so the next worker knows what needs attention.

How do I compare milk records in hot weather?

Use consistent groups, units and milking intervals. Keep weather, water access and feed observations beside the same day’s milk record.

How does HerdMobile help with the daily check?

Keep the animal group, milk quantities and dated observations together. Your records make changes easier to review with the team managing feed, housing and animal care.

How HerdMobile helps

Bring your animals, feed stocks and farm accounts together on your Android phone. HerdMobile keeps your daily work moving offline: record events, compare feed quantities and follow sales and payments in one place. Use your own feeds and herd information to prepare a ration, then keep a backup file under your control.

See how many kilos of each feed to give — Keep the day’s work in view: open your animal records, plan feeding, follow farm accounts and manage your backup in HerdMobile.

Sources

University of Maryland Extension — Managing the summer heat