The Relationship between Warm Weather and Milk Yield in Holstein Cows

Abstract

The increasing variability of weather conditions associated with global climate change is becoming a major problem for dairy farming. The present article provided the results of studies on the relationship between the milk production of Holstein cows and environmental parameters during the warm season. The study investigated whether the relationship between weather conditions (air temperature, relative humidity, wind direction, wind strength, and insolation) and daily milk yield, as well as its components (milk fat yield and milk protein), depended on the conditions comfortable for the cows. The temperature-humidity index was calculated based on air temperature and relative humidity data, which were recorded by the nearest weather station to the farm, which is subordinate to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center. It was found that the relationship between environmental parameters and milk yield was weak concerning the increase in proportion to the growth of heat load. However, the factorial analysis indicated that the total influence of weather factors on milk yield, milk fat, and protein yield was 42-46%. Moreover, weather conditions could significantly impact dairy productivity when cows are kept in naturally ventilated barns. This suggests further investigation of issues related to the microclimate improvement in cowsheds in hot seasons using sprinkler systems for cooling dairy cows.