Heat Stress Impacts Dairy Production, Especially on Small Farms

A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found that high heat and humidity lead to a 1% decline in annual milk yield for U.S. dairy producers. The study also revealed that small farms experience a disproportional impact, amounting to a 1.6% decline, because larger farms are often better able to mitigate some of the effects of heat stress through management strategies. While most of the losses occur on low- and moderate-stress days, yield loss per cow due to an extreme-stress day is more than double that of a moderate-stress day. Potential mitigation strategies include open barn sides, fans, and sprinklers, as well as altering the timing of calving. The researchers also projected potential future milk yield losses increasing by about 30% by 2050, based on predictions of more frequent extreme-heat days.
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