by Tiffanee Boone

During summer heat, animal owners need to protect their pets and livestock.  Some animals are more vulnerable to hot temperatures than others, based on their size, age, health and thickness of hair.  Older animals sometimes have a harder time with heat.  Livestock and pets can get overheated and dehydrated and possibly die from extreme temperatures.

Since dehydration is such a huge risk for animals in really hot weather, pet owners need to make sure they have plenty of fresh water.  Ice and/or frozen water bottles can be floated in water to cool it down.  Make sure when filling water bowls that you run the water hose a few seconds until it runs cool.  You can purchase a large, heavy livestock bowl if your animals are continuously turning the dish over, or dig a shallow hole and set the bowl into it to prevent spilling.  Water intake during hot weather increases significantly.  A 1300 lb cow can drink 25 gallons of water on a hot day.  Also, animals don’t eat as much food during hot weather.

Along with water, proper shelter can help animals handle hot weather.  They need a shelter that is tall enough to allow wind movement.  Putting a tarp over a short dog pen can do more harm than good by creating a sauna-like environment.  For shade, think about when your family goes to the beach all day.  You need to get out of the sun for a few hours to get a break.  Animals are the same way.  They can also get sunburned.

Trees and some shrubs can provide good shade for your pets.   Think about where the shade is during different times of the day to make sure they have good access to it throughout the day.  Also consider what type of trees you have.  Some trees provide better shade than others because of their thick leaves and branches.  Hardwood trees are normally good shade providers.  Pine trees with tiny needles may not be adequate unless you have several  bunched together.  One downside to having trees as shade instead of a shelter is that livestock can kill them over time from rubbing on them.  Also, animals stepping on top of the soil around the trees can cause erosion of the root system which can cause the trees to weaken or die.

Animals may also need fans or misting to help them cool off.  Reducing the temperature lowers animal stress, improves animal health, and increases feeding efficiency.  Also, clipping their hair can really help animals.  Providing a pool with cool water can enable dogs to cool themselves down.  If dogs are panting and digging holes to cool off, they probably need your help.

You also need to think about when you work your animals.  It’s good to work them during the morning hours when the air is cooler.  You never want to stress your animals out while sorting them in pens and running them through chutes.  This becomes critical during hot, humid weather.  You can watch the weather forecast and work livestock on days that may be a little cooler if you have some flexibility.  Also, when transporting livestock on trucks and trailers, move them early in the morning or at night to prevent heat stress.

With shade, water, fans and careful timing of activities, you can prevent unnecessary death in your livestock herd, increase the productivity of your operation, and keep your pets safe.

For questions on livestock management, contact Anthony Growe at 940-977-8255 or amgrowe@ncsu.edu.