Climate resilience on-farm action planner: High summer temperatures/heat extremes

Here are some of the impacts of high summer temperatures and heat extremes and the actions you can take using our Climate resilience on-farm action planner.

Climate change has increased the chance of hot summers by 12–25%. By mid-century, the chances increase further to around 50–60%.

This means hot summers like 2018, where temperatures reached 35°C in Kent, are likely to occur more often. Temperatures could increase to 7°C higher than current summer averages, with the potential to exceed 40°C more frequently.

This can affect animal health and productivity, e.g. fertility, growth rates and liveweight targets.

General

• Consult a vet on management strategies for heat stress, fertility and disease
• Implement fly control measures to reduce irritation, disease spread and cattle congregating
• Time insemination protocol to avoid periods of heat stress
• Schedule handling, transport and vet tasks for early morning or late evening when conditions are cooler
• Maintain high biosecurity standards and raise staff awareness

Monitoring

• Monitor body condition of autumn calvers closely. Some loss of condition over summer may be acceptable, but excessive weight loss increases the risk of calving problems
• Use technology for early warning signs, e.g. collars and eartags

Space

• Provide extra space so animals can spread out and avoid contact, reducing body heat transfer
• Reduce stocking density in sheds/collecting yards and reduce time spent gathered in collecting yards if possible

Feeding and access to water

• Offer feed or fresh forage in the late afternoon or evening rather than the morning so that the heat from rumenation is dissipated during the cooler evening/night hours
• Check troughs and drinkers daily. Ensure all systems are clean, functioning and can meet increased demand

Environment

• Provide natural or artificial shade where possible in fields and yards
• Give cows the choice of coming inside if they find that more comfortable
• Use paddocks closer to the parlour, where possible, to reduce walking time and effort
• Open all vents/windows/outlets to promote airflow
• Adjust shed lighting to encourage resting during the hottest part of the day
• Consider housing finishing cattle earlier to conserve pasture for breeding or lactating stock and prevent condition loss
• Use tree cover, shelter belts, hedges, wind breaks or buildings to provide shade and shelter, possibly as integrated in an agroforestry system
• Keep a heat event log on hot days. Record dates, maximum temperatures, humidity, animal responses and intervention taken. This helps refine future responses
• Install additional cooling such as misting systems in sheds and collecting yards

Lambs are markedly more susceptible than adult sheep.

• Give access to fields with tree cover, shelter belts, hedges, wind breaks or buildings to provide shade and shelter
• Shear sheep earlier in the season
• Be alert to fly problems and use integrated fly control
• Adjust livestock handling to suit conditions, such as moving/handling in the early morning or late evenings when it is cooler
• Ensure all sheep have access to an adequate supply of clean drinking water at all times
• Temporary housing may be beneficial on hot days. Ensure buildings are adequately ventilated, reduce stocking densities if possible, ensuring adequate spacing allowance. Provide extra forage during the cooler times to help compensate for reduced feeding activity in the heat

This could be in fields and feedstock store, straw store and agrochemicals store.

• Store less material on the farm where possible, particularly during high-risk summer months
• Space out storage areas to minimise the risk of one fire spreading to another
• Inspect store regularly for signs of heating or damage
• Put fire breaks between fields, hedgerows and woodland areas where regulations allow
• Fire suppression systems can be retrofitted to control fires and minimise damage
• Create an emergency plan with your local fire station; consider things like best entry points to the farm for fire engines and evacuation of animals

• Make sure ventilation is properly maintained and working efficiently
• Apply chemical deterrents or pour-ons where needed
• Use slurry management systems such as automatic scrapers, frequent scraping, slurry cooling systems, acidification or slurry separation

• Upgrade to more suitable feed silos such as galvanised steel for long-term use

• Schedule strenuous or outdoor tasks for cooler parts of the day where possible
• Provide shaded areas or cool environments for breaks and make sure plenty of drinking water is available to prevent dehydration

• Introduce or expand legumes to increase supply of home-grown proteins and build drought resilience in the ley
• Potentially, there could be an increasing length of the annual growing season for grass, as well as intensity and speed, up to where climate variables become limiting
• Changing to hardier or more heat-tolerant breeds where appropriate