Performance of roof-mounted misting fans to regulate heat stress in dairy cows

Almuhanna, Emad A.; Gamea, Gamal R.; Osman, Omer E.; Almahdi, Faisal M.

doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102984

Cited by 13 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The use of technologies such as those used in the present work, capable of recording various data of the animal in real time, can help the farmer in the continuous individual monitoring of the animals to prevent the onset of stress problems. In addition to these, the technological implementation of the structures, through instruments for the mitigation of problems related to heat stress, has proved to be valid strategies to combat the problem (Becker and Stone 2020 ; Almuhanna et al 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperature–humidity index monitoring during two summer seasons in dairy cow sheds in Mugello (Tuscany)

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Many studies have reported that the impact of high temperatures affects physiology, welfare, health, and productivity of farm animals, and among these, the dairy cattle farming is one of the livestock sectors that suffers the greatest effects. The temperature–humidity index (THI) represents the state of the art in the evaluation of heat stress conditions in dairy cattle but often its measurement is not carried out in sheds. For this reason, the aim of this study was the monitoring of the THI in three dairy cattle farms in Mugello (Tuscany) to understand its influence on dairy cows. THI values were calculated using meteorological data from direct observation in sheds and outdoor environments. Data relating to the animal’s behavior were collected using radio collars. The Pearson test and Mann–Kendall test were used for statistical analysis. The results highlighted a significant (P < 0.001) upward trend in THImax during the last 30 years both in Low Mugello (+ 1.1 every 10 years) and in High Mugello (+ 0.9 every 10 years). In Low Mugello sheds, during the period 2020–2022, more than 70% of daytime hours during the summer period were characterized by heat risk conditions (THI > 72) for livestock. On average the animals showed a significant (P < 0.001) decrease in time spent to feeding and rumination, both during the day and the night, with a significant (P < 0.001) increase in inactivity. This study fits into the growing demand for knowledge of the micro-climatic conditions within farms in order to support resilience actions for protecting both animal welfare and farm productivity from the effects of climate change. This could also be carried out thanks to estimation models which, based on the meteorological conditions forecast, could implement the thermal stress indicator (THI) directly from the high-resolution meteorological model, allowing to get a prediction of the farm’s potential productivity loss based on the expected THI.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperature–humidity index monitoring during two summer seasons in dairy cow sheds in Mugello (Tuscany)

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A necessary condition for keeping cows is to ensure the necessary parameters of the microclimate in the cowshed [1] because increased temperature and humidity can contribute to heat stress in animals [2][3][4]. Heat stress has a negative effect on the physiological state of cows and their productivity [5], and the quality of the obtained milk may deteriorate [6,7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the influence of microclimate parameters in the cowshed and the parameters of the cooling system on the level of cooling of the cows was not investigated. The work in [2] investigated the efficiency of the cooling system based on fans installed under the roof of the cowsheds, which were equipped with a water spray system ("artificial fog" system). The work confirmed the effectiveness of such a cooling system, but the interaction of temperature and humidity on the reduction in temperature and THI was not investigated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Statistical Analysis of the Air-Cooling Process in a Cowshed

Bleizgys,

Čėsna,

Kukharets

et al. 2023

Agriculture

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

During the operation of the cooling system, a large array of temperature and humidity values was obtained inside and outside the cowshed. On the basis of the obtained data set, mathematical models of temperature, humidity and temperature–humidity indices were developed. The modelled values were relevant to the actual values. The mathematical models were built on the basis of regression analysis of the data set. The data set was obtained as a result of the observations of temperature and relative humidity on one of the farms in Lithuania in semi-insulated box-type cowshed for 244 places in the summer. It was established that the efficiency of the air-cooling system is higher at a higher temperature and lower relative humidity of the air entering the cowshed. Lower humidity values contribute to a more intense decrease in the temperature–humidity index during the operation of the cooling system. The presented mathematical models are useful tools for decision making regarding the choice of cooling system operation models, as they allow one to evaluate the cooling efficiency, taking into account the influence of external factors.

show abstract

“…Cows suffering from heat stress during the summer exhibit increased respiration rates ( Strong et al., 2015 ), decreased feed intake ( Kim et al., 2021 ) and milk yields as well as changes in milk composition ( Dikmen et al., 2020 ). Heat stress not only affects physiological indices and reduces production performance ( Almuhanna et al., 2021 ), but also has effects on rumen metabolism ( Zhao et al., 2019 ) and increases oxidative stress in dairy cows ( Yu et al., 2020 ). Moreover, as global warming intensifies, cows are increasingly vulnerable to heat stress.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%