Heat Stress in Cattle

While our mild winters on the North Coast make us the envy of other regions, we also experience periods of extreme heat which can lead to heat stress in cattle and become a real cause for concern.

Signs of heat stress include:

• Increased respiratory rates
• Panting
• Open-mouth breathing
• Salivation and decreased feed intake

To help minimise the effects of hot weather provide your livestock with adequate shade and water.

Trees or physical shade structures big enough to cover all animals are great ways of providing shade, and on hot days consider moving cattle to paddocks with more tree coverage.

It’s important to provide cool and clean drinking water. Allow 200-250 litres per cow per day in hot weather (double what cows usually need). Cleaning out water troughs and dams will also encourage adequate intake.