Sam Mitchell, veterinary surgeon at Wyvern Farm Vets, says providing a high volume of fluids quickly to sick, fresh or cows with low rumination can reduce metabolic challenges and accelerate recovery resulting in better herd performance.
Under normal conditions, adult cattle can drink around 80 litres of water per day; in warm conditions this can increase to 100 litres per cow per day, so recent hot weather presents exaggerated challenges if cows are not drinking sufficient water.
Being proactive and rehydrating challenged cows with oral fluids can have significant benefits, especially when we are experiencing warm weather. Stomach pumping can supplement around 50% of the cow’s daily requirements in under five minutes. It’s a gamechanger for herd health.
The added benefit of dextrose sugar can be beneficial to providing the short burst of energy cows need to eat or drink during heat stress, crucial for kick-starting the recovery process.
Milk yield can reduce by around 15-20% during heat stress, conception rates can reduce by as much as 50% in some cases during periods of heat stress, and a higher number of cattle ‘not-seen bulling’ in the herd can extend service periods, at a cost of approximately £4 per cow per day.
Cattle in the first half of gestation also have approximately 10% higher risk of abortion during heat stress, not only resulting in loss of a viable calf but also fertility and milk losses of the cow.
If possible, feed in an evening rather than morning to maintain dry matter intakes during cooler overnight temperatures. Also look at the environment; provide shade, improve ventilation or if workable, add fans or a fan/sprinkler combination.
