Vermont farmer keeps cows cool to maintain production

VERNON, Vt. – It's not just humans who do not like warmth and humidity.

A dairy farm in Vernon does their best to keep their cattle as fresh and comfortable as possible during this unusually long time.

Art Miller, one of three badociates of Miller Farm Inc. of Vernon, said Monday that heat was putting cows out of their diet and that, as a result, milk production was declining

. really hard on the cows, "he said. Black-and-white Holsteins, especially the predominantly black Holstein, really get warm under the midday sun, he said. "The production is down 10 percent." They left their diet, they drink a lot of water, and when it's hot, the conventional wisdom of the farm is that a cow can drink a barrel. of water per day – that's 55 gallons for each cow.The farm provides a lot of water in 150 gallon bins, which are constantly renewed

Last week there was a period of days with temperatures in the 90s, and the humidity was super-oppressive, and production fell between 10 and 15%, "he said.

To encourage their appetite, the cows are put in pasture earlier in the morning, then put in free-stall barns during the heat of the day, with giant fans running.

who runs the farm with his brother, Peter, and the co-owner Keith Franklin, said that cows prefer time in the 40s. Even hangs In the heat of summer, cows graze twice a day.

Miller says that he's not a scientist, but it does seem like the Vermont summers are getting hotter and hotter. "They seem to be, but I'm not a meteorologist," he said.

"If you could ask the cows if they preferred zero or 100, they would say zero," says Miller, while the 180 cows the cool shade of the barns, and in front of giant fans four feet wide, during another 90 degree day.

The Miller Farm ships its organic milk to Stonyfield Dairy, which makes it its famous yogurt. The farm, which was established 102 years ago, has been organic for about 10 years.

Miller said that one of the major reasons for introducing cows during the heat of the day was that cows usually gathered in the heat. they warmed themselves rather than spreading on pastures.

Franklin and Miller said the cows needed little conviction to arrive at noon and shelter from the sun. The milking is done at 4 pm and 4 pm, and after that, is the green pastures for them.

In Florida, where temperatures in the 90s are the norm, some farmers use foggers to keep their cows cool. But Miller said it must be done carefully. This is fine if the fog is directed towards the cow's back, but there should not be so much water flowing down the sides of the cow and on her udder, where all the time is right. moisture can promote infection.

cows lost due to heat, but a cow that shows heat stress will gasp his tongue. [19659192] "Shadow is huge for them", he said

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