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Watch cattle for signs of heat stress

An extension beef veterinarian encourages cattle producers to monitor livestock during the current heatwave.

Grant Dewell with Iowa State University says most cattle in the Midwest are bred for cooler climates.

“So anytime it gets above 75, 80 degrees, they’re dealing some with heat stress.  And when it gets up to 95 to 100 (degrees), there can be some pretty severe heat stress that they’re dealing with.  So keep an eye on (your) animals.”

He tells Brownfield panting and a lack of movement are symptoms of heat stress, and producers can intervene with water and shade.

“Their water consumption is going to go up two to three times normal during a heat event.  Their main mechanism of cooling themselves off is evaporation, whether that’s sweating or panting, and that takes a lot of water so you need to replace that.”

And Dewell says it’s better to feed in the afternoon than the morning.

“When that ruminant heats up in four to six hours after they consume that, hopefully it’s cooling off as we get into eight or nine o’clock in the evening.  Versus if we feed them at eight in the morning, the ruminant is getting hot about the time the temperature is getting hot at about noon.”

He says extreme heat can affect grazing behavior so rotational grazing systems might need to be adjusted.