Temperatures will be into the 90s and low 100s the next several days- and the heat index is expected to be even hotter than that- and your cattle need you to pay attention how they are handling the heat and the bright sun. Dr. Michelle Calvo-Lorenzo is riding to the rescue in today's Beef Buzz, with some things to look for and some common sense solutions that you can control in order to deal with heat stress that your cattle may be facing.
Dr. Calvo-Lorenzo is with the Animal Science Department at Oklahoma State University and she talked in recent days with Dave Deken of the OSU Ag Communications Department about how you can help your cattle cope with the heat. She indicates that cattle producers need to be watching for signs of heat stress- and among the surest indicators of heat stress during hot weather are cattle breathing faster, in some cases panting- that's where animals are breathing fast with open mouths and usually drooling. If they are out in the open and you see these indicators- it's time to respond with aggressive action in a hurry.
When it comes to common sense ideas to make sure your cattle are coping with the heat- Dr. Calvo-Lorenzo says here best three ideas include first, providing animals shade, second- not impeding on the air flow or ventilation of their environment and number three supplying clean water.
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