Page 16 - MWC 08-5-2021s

HELP CATTLE BEAT THE HEAT
The Midwest Cattleman · August 5, 2021 · P16

We’ve all been seeing hotter there are heat stress events
temperatures—in the upper that there’s a readily made
90's. Kansas State beef veter- plan to put into action.
inarian A.J. Tarpoff explains Here are Tarpoff’s top tips to
some of the ways cattle produc- help cattle beat the heat.
ers across the country can help Make plenty of water
cattle be less stressed in high available. Water consumption
heat conditions. is critical during the summer
“Heat stress on our cattle is months. “Once the tempera-
a critically important aspect of ture rises to about 90 degrees
our production that we have to and during the hot summer,
control. Heat stress accounts animals consume water at five
for about $370 million worth times their dry matter intake.
of losses to our beef cattle in- So, it’s critically important that
dustry every year, just due to we have a good quality and any given time of the day.
the decreases in performance, quantity water source that's Modify the pen surface. Maximize nighttime cool-
decreases in fertility and the available to them at all times,” If you don't have the opportu- ing. Cattle are a robust species
potential of mortality,” Tarpoff he says. nity to have sunshade, you can he says. They accumulate heat
says. Utilize shade. When uti- modify the pen surface. “Keep during the day, and they dis-
It’s critically important to lizing sunshades, the animals in mind that just a dirt floor sipate it during the nighttime
have a plan in place and to should have about 20 square during the hot summer months cooling hours. Anything that
plan ahead to make sure when feet per head of shade access at due to the solar radiation, it can can be done to maximize the
get up to about 140 degrees,” nighttime cooling really helps
the animals in the long run. “It
LIFE think baling wire, duct tape Tarpoff explains. “Things like takes about six hours of night-
continued from page 5 and WD-40 would have solved dry bedding, whether it's corn time cooling to be able to dissi-
the problem, but the surgeon
stalks or wheat stubble that
Unfortunately, after that one disagreed and chose the more that's been baled, or we can pate the cumulative heat load
week parole, I have to return to expensive option of surgery. I put out some straw and we can that they picked up during the
the hospital for an even more think it’s all an insurance scam. actually drop the surface tem- day,” he says.
invasive procedure (bypass sur- So, over the next few weeks, perature of that pen floor by AgDay TV
gery), which will keep me from if you read my column and about 25 degrees.”
driving for an entire month think you’ve read it before, that
(that’s assuming I live through means I lived through the sur-
it) and unable to do much of gery and you’re reading reruns.
anything for about two more On the other hand, if I didn’t
months. By that time, realtors make it through, you’ll only get
will start to think my farm is to read my final column, in the
abandoned property and start form of an obituary. You won’t
erecting “for sale” signs all over want to miss it, though. It’s a
the place. dandy!
The warden tells me I’m **Editor’s Note: We are
lucky, since all of these prob- happy to report that Jerry
lems were found with routine Crownover’s surgery went very
tests and before experiencing well, and he is home recovering.
a stroke or heart attack, that He said he has been sitting on
would have damaged the heart the deck and chomping at the
muscle. I simply have about bit to be out there taking care of
five arteries that are clogged cattle. Call Now for
Dormant
up and need repairing. I still Plantings

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