See the effects the heat has on your Florida beef herd, an important point with temperatures on the rise every year.
“This year’s relentless heat waves have many of us watching cattle and pastures more closely than ever;” shared a UF/IFAS blog about the effects of the summer heat on your Florida beef herd, and how to mitigate the dangers. See what the research says about heat and cattle.
How Heat Affects Your Florida Beef Herd
The blog article maintains that “When daytime temperatures climb into the high 90s with humidity following suit, our herds and our grass feel every degree. The article shared that heat can affect your Florida beef herd in both the short-term and the long-term, including reproduction. Effects of heat on cattle include:
- “Body temperature rises.”
- “Appetite falls.”
- “Weight gain slows.”
- Cattle display “heavy panting, lack of grazing, and reluctance to move toward feeders or even waterers.”
- “Skipping heats or displaying weak behaviors (weak standing heat).”
- “If a cow is in her early pregnancy stage, the embryo (first stages of life in unborn calves) is especially vulnerable due to a high body temperature in the cow, which can result in abortion due to developmental failure.”
- “In your herd this will manifest in calving intervals stretching out, which will eventually result in a reduction in next year’s profits.”
- “Bulls aren’t immune either: semen quality can suffer for weeks after the hottest days have passed. Extreme temperatures can affect sperm cell shape and movement, rendering the sire sterile for up to 60 days after being stressed due to excessive heat.”
See our next blog for how to mitigate the effects of Florida’s heat for your beef herd.
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions -or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.