Dairy farmers are being encouraged to take proactive steps to prevent heat stress and ensure compliance with emerging industry measures that seek to maintain cow welfare and productivity.

 

Galebreaker says growing industry expectations around Temperature Humidity Index (THI) monitoring mean farmers will increasingly need to show that heat stress risk is being recorded and managed, rather than relying on visible signs alone.

Chloe Rodriguez, Animal Welfare Specialist at Galebreaker, says farmers need practical, farm-specific data, as heat stress is often underestimated.

“By the time cows are visibly showing signs of heat stress, performance and welfare may already have been affected,” she says.

“Humidity, ventilation, stocking density and building design all influence how well cows lose heat. Monitoring THI gives farmers a much clearer picture of conditions inside their sheds and helps them make decisions based on live, farm-specific data.”

A UK-wide farmer survey carried out by Scotland’s Rural College, Galebreaker and Smartbell, as part of the A-SHED project, found that while 84% of respondents had experienced heat stress, only 18% were actively measuring shed temperature.

“Without THI data it can be difficult to know when risk is increasing or whether mitigation measures are working,” adds Ms Rodriguez.

“This is becoming increasingly important as the supply chain asks for clearer evidence that welfare risks are being managed.”


Farm-specific environmental data can also help specialists, such as Galebreaker’s Animal Welfare team, assess shed-specific risk and identify practical building improvements.

Ms Rodriguez says the most resilient dairy businesses will be those that use data to understand where improvements are needed.

“Optimising building ventilation and lowering humidity is key to protecting future production as well as supporting cow welfare. As summers become less predictable, monitoring THI is becoming an essential part of responsible dairy management.”