Are you and your cows ready for the summer heat?
David Balbian, Area Dairy Specialist
Central New York Dairy and Field Crops
Are You and Your Cows Ready for the Summer Heat?
Summer arrives every year in June and our dairy cattle are always negatively affected by the summer heat and humidity. We have had some warmer weather already, but nothing like we will experience during the midst of summer. Measures to take include:
1) Work with your nutritionist now to develop a plan to modify the diet to account for lower dry matter intake. This may mean increasing the nutrient density of the diet. However, be careful to maintain enough effective fiber in the diet. Consider increasing potassium, sodium, and magnesium levels in the diet, as these minerals can be depleted during excessive heat.
2) Water availability is increasingly important. Double check all your equipment.
3) Air movement: depending on your barn you may use circulating fans or tunnel ventilation. Be sure the system has adequate capacity and is properly designed. Sidewall curtains and ridge vent openings in free stall barns help facilitate air exchange. Call if you need assistance.
4) Shade becomes very valuable. If you are grazing and no shade is available in the pasture it may be beneficial to bring cows in during the hottest times of the day, assuming you have good air movement via fans or tunnel ventilation. Be sure to provide some extra forage in the barn.
5) Sprinklers (in conjunction with fans) can really be beneficial in free stall barns. You need an adequate water supply and you need to be able to handle the extra water added to your manure system. Misters and high pressure foggers have sometimes been used to provide an evaporative cooling effect in the south, but only a small number exist in New York State.
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Upcoming Events
Fresh Cow Health Disorders - Spanish
July 19, 2024
July 26, 2024
August 2, 2024
August 9, 2024
August 16, 2024
August 23, 2024
August 30, 2024
Free webinar series in Spanish.
Calving Workshop
August 6, 2024 : Calving Workshop
Herkimer, NY
English / Spanish program. Limited to 8 English speaking & 8 Spanish speaking participants. Lunch included.
Announcements
Document and Share Storm Damage
Mother nature has really been difficult over the last few days. Significant damage has been seen throughout NYS. Please let us know what types of damage your farm may have sustained during this time. This could be in the form of property damage, lost power, milk dump due to lost power, loss of livestock, loss of stored feed or growing crops.Farms are encouraged to DOCUMENT AND SHARE any impacts the weather may have had on their home or business. This could include structure damage, crop loss, inventory loss due to power outages, damage to equipment or fencing, and more.
If your farm experienced any sort of damage, please reach out to any of the folks listed below (or all of them). The more impact information that is collected, the greater the likelihood of a disaster declaration which can bring vital emergency support and awareness. The CNYDLFC Team will continue to collect detail and submit to NYSDAM and the EDEN network.
Reporting Weather Related Impacts (For your home or farm business)
- First, ensure that all the people and animals on your farm are safe, and that there aren't any unsafe working conditions created because of the weather (check your structures!). If there's an emergency, call 911 - don't try to manage it all on your own.
- Second, document all negative weather impacts for your farm and their estimated financial cost. Take photos, make estimates, and put it all in a safe place.
- Reach out to your insurance providers - farm, vehicle, crop, etc. to initiate the claim process as needed.
- Then, share your farm's damage with any (or all) of the ag support agencies listed below. We all work together to collect storm damage information and funnel it up to Ag and Markets which can initiate a natural disaster declaration.
- Chenango: 607-334-5841
- Fulton/Montgomery: 518-853-2135
- Herkimer: 315-866-7920
- Madison: 315-684-3001
- Otsego: 607-547-2536
- Schoharie: 518-234-4303
- Saratoga: 518-885-8995
- Nicole Tommell: 315-861-6001
- Erik Smith: 315-219-7786
- Daniela Gonzalez: 315-749-3486
- Ashley McFarland- 315-604-2156
Your county USDA/FSA service center.
- Chenango: 607-334-3231
- Fulton/Montgomery: 518-853-4015
- Herkimer: 315-866-2520
- Madison:315-824-9076
- Otsego: 607-547-8131
- Schoharie: 518-295-8600
- Saratoga: 518-692-9940
Your county farm bureau manager
- Region 3: Bailey Coon: 518-937-0566
- Region 5: John Wagner: 315-761-9770
- Region 6: Natally Batiston: 518-937-0269
- Region 7: Todd Heyn: 518-431-9338
Please let us know how we can help you.
Cash Rent and Custom Harvest Survey
To date, there is limited information available about rental rates and fees for crop harvesting. Farms can use this valuable information for their farm business planning to help improve decision making and profitability.Farmers Can Join MeatSuite For Free!
MeatSuite.com is a free resource provided by Cornell University where NY meat farmers can create a farm profile and list their bulk (wholes, halves, quarters) and bundled (i.e. Grilling Bundle) meat products.Why should farmers join?
1. It's free and easy!
2. Connect with more local customers. In the past year the MeatSuite.com farm directory had 8,300 visits from New York consumers. Farm profiles get as many as 25 views per month from potential local customers. We also spotlight MeatSuite farms on social media and bring attention and purchases to farms through highlights and giveaways.
How do I join?
Farmers can visit https://www.meatsuite.com/farmers/ to create a free farm profile. You must list at least one product for your farm's profile to go live. You'll also have access to Cornell's free Meat Price Calculator, a helpful tool for pricing your meat to make a profit.
While you're on MeatSuite, check out the "Creating Consumer-Friendly Bulk Meats" publication on the log-in page. It has tips on how to create bulk meat products that are easier for first-time buyers to say "yes" to.
If you have any questions as you create your farm profile or products, we're here to help! Please email Matt LeRoux at mnl28@cornell.edu.