Heat stress: an underestimated issue for dairy cows

Dairy cows are sensitive to heat stress, which can cost the dairy producer over 400€/cow. Around 80% of these losses are associated with a 10- 35% drop of productivity, and 20% with health issues e.g. impaired reproduction, mastitis and acidosis. Normand R St-Pierre at Ohio State University concluded in his recent publication that heat stress results in total economic losses ranging between $1.9 and $2.7 billion per year in the USA. Although projected increases in ambient temperatures (+ 1.2