“As uncomfortable as we are during the heat of the day, it is important to remember cattle generally do not handle heat as well as humans,” according to Rick Machen, professor and Texas AgriLife Extension specialist. Heat stress is a function of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and solar radiation.
The core body temperature of cattle does not peak until two hours after the peak in ambient temperature, which often comes at 5 p.m. or later. Cattle need at least six hours to dissipate the heat accumulated during the day. Consequently, nighttime cooling is essential for managing heat stress. Warm humid nights with no breeze following a +100° days pose a real challenge for cattle.
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