MANAGING HEAT STRESS IN SHOW STOCK

The genetics that make up the bulk of show cattle and show sheep in the United States came from either the United Kingdom or Continental Europe. The average summertime temperatures in many of these locations are 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit or LESS (often 70-75 degrees). Pigs have been raised more successfully in climate controlled environments for decades; plus show pigs are now being bred to have more hair than ever and do not possess the ability to cool themselves via sweat. Bundle this with the mindset we have selected show cattle for good hair genetics for 40-50 years, and it spells a recipe for potential disaster if we are not careful.

Shade: the quickest way to keep animals cooler in general is to keep them out of the direct sunlight. Whether this be a barn, lean-to, shade cloth, trees, or other methods, it is the most important thing to remember during warm/hot days.

Air Flow: after shade, this is the next most effective way to keep your animal cool. Natural breeze, fans, evaporative cooling units, and cool rooms can each play a major role. When designing your barn, we recommend accounting for the prevailing summer wind direction to take greatest advantage of what nature provides. Boosting any natural air flow with high-speed hanging fans or evaporative cooling units is a widely used method of cooling your show projects. Smaller species may be comfortable with less airflow than cattle, but all types typically benefit on hot summer days. Evaporative cooling devices can be of great help in lowering the temperature, especially in areas with less humidity. Our favorite method is to use a combination of high air flow fans with misters or evaporative coolers and a low profile insulated barn to concentrate the cool moving air on projects.

Ice bath: mainly applicable to hogs (who do not have the ability to cool via sweat), on extremely hot days it can be beneficial to pour ice directly in the animal’s pen to cool the area they lay in. It can create a bit of a mess, but that is something you can clean, bringing your animal back to full health when they overheat is not something we ever want to go through.

Hydration: keeping fresh water available at all times will help maximize your animal’s natural ability to cool itself from the inside out. If the water is warmer than ideal, consider adding ice once or twice a day. Electrolyte enhanced water can be valuable if it is in the budget. The important thing to consider here is that they like to consume it, but it does not contain large amounts of sugar because that will contribute to internal heat through chemical reactions. Find electrolytes that are low in sugar and cost effective for daily use.

Salt block: a sometimes forgotten key to surviving the heat is mineral balance. Like the hydration section, we encourage finding options that have limited sugar content as to not add heat in the form of internal chemical reactions associated with digestion. Salt/mineral consumption can also lead to increased water intake, enhancing the animal’s hydration.

Cool/cold water rinse – think of it as a cold plunge for your animal. Likely the most effective way of lowering the animal’s internal temperature. It’s easy to focus on their topline, but the animal’s engine runs through the lower half and front third of their body – rinse chest, in between front legs, and the forward half of their belly to have the most success. In high humidity climates it is important to dry the animal to the skin fairly quickly after finishing rinsing, because the layer of water sitting on the animal’s skin creates an insulative effect that can increase their internal temperature the longer it stays on their skin.

Shearing: For cattle/sheep/goats this option exists. Down shearing heifers and steers is popular in spring months when they shuck their hair. For those that have slick steer shows, your animals can be sheared multiple times to help them deal with the heat. If you aren’t going to show a heifer for 90+ days, shearing is a viable option also. We like to shear them before we put them out to get bred if it fits our show schedule. Sheep and goats often get sheared to show – if you plan on showing them in the wool/hair, shearing may not be the best option, but clipping them in to take off extra hair can help.

Wetting pens: spraying water on your bedding (when coupled with significant air flow) helps cool the area by creating an evaporative cooling effect. Doing this multiple times a day as the pens dry out can significantly lower the feel of the temperature in a barn. This is most effective in regions with lower humidity but can help in any location.

Be extra careful when hauling: transporting animals is stressful enough, but enclosing them in trailers when the heat is at its worst can be extremely detrimental to your animals health. Hauling in the coolest portions of the day (often when it is dark outside) will help dramatically. Other things to keep in mind include maximizing airflow (vents, windows, FANS if possible, etc.), insulating your trailer, and minimizing time at stops (keep moving as much as possible, the natural airflow will help). Think ahead and prepare for instances where you may encounter stop and go traffic with livestock on the trailer – how will you combat the heat with what you carry on the trailer? You never know when there will be road construction, a wreck, flat tire, or other instance that you are stationary longer than ideal.

If your budget allows, building an air-conditioned room for animals to live in is an option. The management of animals in cool rooms is not easy, and comes with plenty of risk, but if done properly can benefit the animal’s value as a show project. We will dive deeper into this in the future..