Sustainable Management of Dairy Cows in Semi-Arid Summers: Additional Early Nighttime Sprinkler Cooling for Heat Stress Mitigation

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different cooling sessions on the performance and welfare of Holstein Friesian cows during the semi-arid summer in Pakistan. Sixteen lactating cows were randomly assigned to two treatment groups: (1) five cooling sessions per day (5CS) and (2) eight cooling sessions (8CS), with two sessions during early nighttime and one in the early morning. Each sprinkler cooling session lasted 1 hour. The trial was conducted over a period of 8 weeks during August and September of 2021. The results showed that cows in the 8CS group produced an average of 2.9 kg/d more milk than those in the 5CS group. Additionally, the respiration rate and total feeding time of cows in the 8CS group was significantly lower than that of the 5CS group. Moreover, the core body temperature of cows was not significantly influenced by addition of extra cooling sessions. In conclusion, the results suggest that the addition of cooling sessions in the early nighttime had a positive effect on milk yield and welfare in Holstein cows during the semi-arid summer season. These findings could have significant implications for the management of dairy cows in similar climatic conditions.