What Are The Methods For Dealing With The Decreases In Feed Consumption?
The methods for dealing with the decreases in feed consumption under hot weather conditions are;
- Frequent feeding
- Using fresh feeds
- Cleaning feeders from bad and smelly feeds
- Building cooling systems such as shade, shower, fogging and fan in the feeder fields
- Avoiding long- term walk for animals (pasturing)
- Usage of low temperature concentrate feeds and oils
- Changes in the preferences of animal feeding, should be considered in TMR usage. (TMR, changes in feeding behaviour; being pre-dominantly fed with concentrated feeds)
- Feeding should be made in a cool time of the day and a sum of feed should always be in the feeders animals not to be starved
- Animals prefer to consume concentrated feeds in hot weathers. The acidosis risk which may occur under these conditions, cause decreases in feed consumption and milk fat rate. In order to avoid this, sodium bicarbonate and magnesium oxide mixtures should be included in the ration as buffers. The usage of these products, also regulates cation- anion balance, decreases rumen pH fluctuations, improves cellulose digestibility and increases feed consumption and milk fat rate
- Dairy cattle have big losses of sodium, potassium and magnesium in hot summer days by sweating
- Addition of vitamin A, D and E to feeds and the usage of milk and fattening block are going to have beneficial results for the animals
