Heat Stress

By Brent Nelms | July 20, 2011

From: Great Plains Livestock Consulting, Inc.

The recent, and upcoming, hot weather present challenges to keeping cattle healthy and on feed. Please review the following tips from Great Plains Livestock Consulting, Inc. to help get cattle back on feed and reduce further performance loss. With cooler weather coming, the potential for digestive deads is increased as hungry cattle begin coming back to the bunk.

1) Cattle should be backed off one diet to limit metabolic heat load and aid in the prevention of acidosis. In lots that have not experienced cattle losses, or extreme reductions (more than 25 percent) in intake, this may not be necessary. Move cattle back to the finisher diet when intake has leveled off.

2) Increase water space; there should be 2 in. of water space/head, keep waterers cleaned, and the recharge rate should be adequate.

3) Increase intakes of corn by no more than 1.5 lb/hd/day As-Fed.

4) Put shades up if possible.

5) Provide sprinklers; sprinkler drops should be big enough to wet them to hide.

6) Increase bunk space.

7) Line bunks with plastic or plug continuous bunks and fill with water.

8) Provide salt in the diet to encourage water intake.

9) These heat stress situations are why we promote feeding later in the afternoon. Increase feedings by at least once a day to help ease them back onto finishers.

Please call us with any questions regarding heat stress. Also, the July/August 2008 newsletter on our website www.GPLC-Inc.com has an article titled "Heat Stress" by Dr. Ki Fanning with more information.

CONTACT

Dr. Ki Fanning Ki.Fanning@GPLC-Inc.com

Dr. Jeremy Martin Jeremy.Martin@GPLC-Inc.com

Dr. Dan Larson Dan.Larson@GPLC-Inc.com

Mr. Zeb Prawl Zeb.Prawl@GPLC-Inc.com

Thank you,

Brent Nelms

Office Manager

Great Plains Livestock Consulting, Inc.

500 S. 4th St.

P.O. Box 377

Eagle, NE 68347