Small increases in temperature and humidity can cause animals to expend more energy to stay cool, directly impacting growth rates and milk yields. By maintaining lower temperatures in the barn, evaporative cooling systems help animals stay comfortable, healthy and productive.

Sensor-based soaking delivers cooling when and where cows need it and uses cow activity to drive system response. When nozzles open because a cow is present and close when she leaves, cooling becomes both more effective and more efficient.

As heat events become more frequent and more intense, dairy producers are reevaluating when – and how – they cool their cows.

In our operations, holding area management and the proper use of a crowd gate play a crucial role in promoting a cow’s comfort and ensuring an optimal milk harvest experience during her daily parlor visits. While these tasks may seem straightforward, they require much more than just moving cows and running them through a parlor.

Proper airflow in milking parlors and holding areas is essential for the well-being of the herd and the efficiency of dairy operations. By effectively removing heat, moisture, odors and contaminants produced by the cows, proper ventilation ensures the cows' comfort, prevents heat stress, maintains good air quality and supports animal health overall.

Being prepared for the heat will result in the least amount of stress on the cows and the people dealing with these animals. The environment where the cows reside is the critical area of the barn to evaluate. Keep the ventilation system, including doors and fans, set to where the system was designed. These actions will allow cooler heads (and cows) to prevail.

Even with all the available information, the challenges around heat stress still exist, and each summer we see cows struggling to maintain production and reproductive health through high temperatures and humidity across the U.S. While we know a lot about heat stress, there are still areas of learning to lean into and help support herds throughout the summer heat and humidity. 

The Novus C.O.W.S. Program has helped dairy farmers unlock bottlenecks in cow comfort and productivity across North America for over 12 years.

Heat stress has been estimated to cost the dairy industry $897 million, and one of the most effective methods to alleviate heat stress is to cool the cow directly using low-pressure soaking. This article will focus on feedlane soaking but will also touch on other areas where soaking is used.

When it comes to heat abatement, most dairy farmers are likely to focus on their lactating cows. At the 2023 Pennsylvania Dairy Summit, Dr. Geoffrey Dahl from the University of Florida shared why this may not actually be the best method.