The weather forecast delivered, and we have had a decent week of ‘summer’ weather. Sheds on all of our monitor farms have suffered mild heat stress throughout the week and on some hotter, sunny days this has risen to moderate heat stress. Milk yields will have suffered with predicted losses around 1 l/day and this will have escalated as the week progressed and heat loads accumulated. Fertility will have been impacted and may show as fewer cows coming bulling or poorer conception rates. Our farmers have been reporting increased standing times and cows huddling in cooler spots which will not be good for hoof health and may show as solar-ulcer problems in the autumn.
