We seem to be ‘enjoying’ an Indian summer for the next 7 – 10 days. Temperatures have risen steadily since Wednesday and are forecast to remain high throughout the week. Down in S England we have crystal clear skies so in the full sun we have very high ‘Black Globe’ temperatures of over 35’C. It is conditions only fit for ‘mad dogs and Englishmen’ and certainly no place for a cow with an insulating fur coat and all the metabolic heat production associated with 30 l milk a day. Look to maximise the availability, capacity and fill rate of all your water troughs and provide shade as much as possible. Adequate (4 – 6 sq m) shade provision on many highly-managed grazing platforms in very difficult and often the best shade is in the modern housing. If you can graze cows until about 11am then house them and graze them again after afternoon milking you will maintain most of the major grazing bouts.
