Dairy farms in Germany and Chile deploy fans, mist and shade to curb heat stress

In Germany, farmer Andreas Graf of the Agrargenossenschaft See installed large ceiling fans and a misting system that sprays a fine water mist every 30 seconds onto his milking cows. He says the cooling measures show results: "Das ist ein schönes Zeichen, dass es auch etwas bringt, wenn man investiert." The goal is to keep cows in their preferred 5‑10 °C range, since temperatures above 20 °C lower milk yield and heat above 32 °C can be fatal.

In Chile, dairy producers are protecting newborn calves kept in plastic igloos by adding sunshades, shade nets and by raising the igloos on keels to improve airflow. They also provide electrolytes and frequent water. One farmer noted, “Im Iglu war es zwar schattig, aber trotzdem zu warm,” prompting the switch to shade nets. These simple steps reduce heat‑induced agitation, reduced feed intake and circulatory problems in the calves.