Dairy Heat Stress
In periods of heat stress, cows lose water and nutrients required for optimal body function and performance.
We like to call heat stress days Bovine BlueLite® days.
Bovine BlueLite® has proven that it may help:
During BlueLite days, the combination of heat and humidity can compromise a cow’s ability to dissipate excess body heat. Cooling systems and heat abatement programs are important. but even with routine summertime diet and cooling techniques in place, a cow can experience physiological changesfor which she cannot cope. Nutritional strategies which support yield, but also address these physiologic challenges are needed to help the cow maintain or re-establish health and performance.
Temperatures as low as 68°F with a relative humidity of 85% can work to create heat stress conditions.
How Bovine BlueLite® Can Help Preserve Milk Production
Nearly all dairy cows tend to respond to heat stress the same way—lower milk production. Bovine BlueLite® is designed to help maintain milk production by helping to deliver nutrients that support feed intake. Bovine BlueLite is an electrolyte packed full of essential nutrients such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium and much more. Help maintain your production this summer by including Bovine BlueLite in your summer heat abatement protocols.
Heat stress trial shows lower dairy cow body temperature with Bovine BlueLite®
In a university experiment on a commercial dairy under mild heat stress conditions, Bovine BlueLite® Pellets were shown to lower body temperature and increase milk production compared to a control group.
BlueLite® Pellets were added to feed provided to a group of multiparous and primiparous cows. A control group, of a similar parity makeup, was fed their usual TMR ration at the same time. Body temperature was measured vaginally pre-trial and throughout the trial to evaluate what effect Bovine BlueLite®Pellets had on body temperature. Fig. 1 shows that the group fed Bovine BlueLite® Pellets had a lower average body temperature throughout the day compared to the untreated control group—with an average difference of 0.49º F from peak ambient temperature at hour 13, through hour 16. Milk production for this trial showed the Bovine BlueLite® treated group averaged 5.56% more during the first 20 days (when ambient temperatures were greater) than the control group.
During a recent Florida heat stress trial, cows fed Bovine BlueLite® produced more milk and had reduced production losses over untreated cows. While most dairymen utilize heat abatement equipment, nutritional solutions are often overlooked even though the cow experiencing heat stress has very specific nutritional needs. Bovine BlueLite® is a nutrition solution that supports the proper hydration and balance of electrolytes and energy in stressed cows. Exactly the kind of nutrition the cow experiencing heat stress needs—delivered at just the right time.
Download and Print: Bovine BlueLite® Heat Stress Tri-Fold Brochure
Download and Print: Bovine BlueLite® Heat Stress Bi-Fold Brochure
Replenish necessary electrolytes and nutrients with Bovine BlueLite® to promote dairy cow health and milk production.
Learn more about the Bovine BlueLite® product line for Dairy: