See recommendations from UF/IFAS for combating cattle heat stress during Florida’s hot and humid summers.
“Florida’s summer heat is only going to test us more in the years ahead,” shared a UF/IFAS blog, adding that preparing now will make it easier in the long run. We shared information from it in our own blog about the damaging effects of the heat on your Florida beef cattle, and now we are sharing the options for mitigating cattle heat stress to protect your animals and your operation’s bottom line.
Tips for Easing Cattle Heat Stress
On forages: The blog shared that “Bahiagrass is a great forage. It is our go-to species because it tolerates heat and drought better than most. In extreme conditions Bahiagrass can struggle. When soil temperatures at one-inch depth top 105 °F roots slow their growth, nutrient uptake stalls and new stands can fail before they’ve barely started. If you’re thinking of renovation, wait for that first cool spell after late-summer rains. Remember to sample your soils way before establishing new plantings so you can amend the soil according to what your plants will need.”
On combating cattle heat stress: The blog shared the following tips:
- “Consider your elements. Plan to move cattle into shaded paddocks during extreme heat to avoid stress.
- A fall breeding season can help you reduce embryonic death by pushing your cattle to conceive during the cooler months. Culling (eliminating) cattle that get bred in late spring might help you shorten your breeding season.
- Consider trialing a few heat-tolerant bulls or females and compare their performance against your current herd. Bos indicus cattle were made for the heat.
- Delay pasture renovation until soil temps dip, then reseed just ahead of rain and keep fresh seedlings shaded.”
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.