Cool, refreshing mist vapors and shaded areas are no superfluous luxury today. Dairy farmers in West Friesland have also taken precautions against the heat today. NH Nieuws visits them. LTO chairman Buysman: “Cows are much less resistant to heat than we are.”
The cows were up early at dairy farmer Joeri Ham from Wijdenes. “They took a trip to a meadow that I have recently watered, so that the soil is a bit cooler. If it gets too hot, the cows go back inside.”
A little further on, in Zwaagdijk-Oost, dairy farmer Jacob-Jan Wiering is milking 80 cows. Wiering renovated his stable a few years ago. “I now have a nebulizer on with spring water. It keeps the stable at around 12 degrees. The fan pushes the cold air through the stable again.”
Into the meadow
According to Ham, cows find temperatures above 15 degrees not pleasant. The cows can choose for themselves whether or not they want to go out into the meadow. “The barn is open, but most stay inside. Yesterday afternoon a few cows ventured across to a pasture, but after a few seconds half had already dropped out.”
Food and drink are also taken into account. “Normally the cows look for food themselves. Now we feed farm-fresh grass at the feed fence,” says dairy farmer Jack Rijlaarsdam from Stompetoren. “We always take good care of our cows. But on such days a little more.”
Jacob-jan Wiering’s cows get a cold shower – NH Nieuws
According to Trude Buysman, chairman of the Netherlands Agricultural and Horticultural Organization (LTO), the measures are desperately needed. Just like humans, cows and sheep need cooling at high temperatures. “The animals must be able to go to a cool spot, farmers also take this into account. They provide sufficient shade and water supplies.”
The use of nebulizers is an example of this. “They provide the dairy cattle with cooling. No superfluous luxury with these temperatures. Cows, for example, are much less able to withstand heat than we are.”
Water and shade
There is plenty of water in West Friesland. Pastures are surrounded by ditches and trees. “Cows or sheep look for the water or the shade themselves. They can always go to the stable, it is cooler there. The spaces are open and spacious and have fans.”
Bad for the farmers, because the milk production does suffer from this heat. “At higher temperatures, cows are unable to give off their heat. As a result, they eat less, which in turn results in less milk,” explains Wiering.
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