Wednesday, 13 July 2022 11:25

Hourly showers

Written by Milking It

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OPINION: The heat is on in India. In some parts of India, the temperature gauge has hit 50 degree Celsius - bad news for the world's largest milk producer.

Heat stress is leading to reduced appetitie, lower weight gain and decreased fertility in cattle. Rising temperatures could reduce milk output by up to 25% in India's hotter areas by 2085, according to recent research published in the Lancet.

Solutions to ward off heat stress include specially designed sheds with fans and sprinklers to keep cattle cool, but that comes at a high cost and only big, intensive dairy farms can afford such infrastructure.

So many farmers are giving their cows hourly showers to keep them cool.

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