Scientists develop new dairy heat stress analysis tools

• Reduce impact of climate change

• Major welfare benefits promised

• Herd health set for improvements

A new generation of livestock buildings and digital tools could reduce the impact of heat stress on housed dairy herds.

Two companies – Galebreaker and Smartbell – have been awarded a second grant by the Digital Dairy Chain to deliver further research into the impact on indoor dairy cows of heat stress caused by climate change.

Insights from the research will inform the development of innovative, digital tools that will allow farmers to analyse the risk and impact of heat stress on-farm, with the aim of improving animal welfare and productivity.

Ground-breaking

Managed and awarded by the UK’s national innovation agency Innovate UK, the research and development grants were part of a competitive funding round that has allocated £1m to ground-breaking projects across the country.

Working in partnership with researchers from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Galebreaker and Smartbell will deliver the A-SHED project (Analysis of Scottish Housed Environments for Dairy).

SRUC’s research findings will be used to develop an app and a digital design tool that allows farmers to quickly analyse on-farm data and take action to minimise heat stress.

Galebreaker technical director, Andrew Gardner believes the project’s on-farm data will lead to better building designs that are  more resilient to climate change.

“With the average livestock building lasting over 30 years, this project helps demonstrate how existing structures can be modified to deliver better conditions that help housed animals thrive, and how new builds can be designed.”

At the forefront of animal behaviour and environmental sensor monitoring, Smartbell co-founder Jose Chitty believes the project’s application of data analytics will help to pave the way for better understanding of heat stress.

“It’s an issue that poses an increasing risk to farm profitability and sustainability,” says Mr Chitty.

“Ultimately our long-term aim for A-SHED is to enable farmers to mitigate the challenging effects of heat stress, which include reduced fertility, lameness, mastitis, lower milk yield and reduced animal longevity.”.

Sustainability goals

The research will be overseen by Marie Haskell, professor in animal welfare science at SRUC, who emphasises the importance of innovative solutions that align with the dairy industry’s sustainability goals.

“It is great to bring two UK manufacturers together, alongside our researchers, to collaborate in addressing a prominent issue for the industry,” she says. “These tools will also be just as applicable to the national and global agriculture sector.”

Young vets seek on-farm work placements

Farmers are being encouraged to offer placements to student vets – to help shape the future of the veterinary profession in a way that benefits livestock producers.

The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the UK’s regulatory body for veterinary professionals, is calling upon farmers to register as student placement providers on the new RCVS Extra-Mural Studies National Booking Database.

All veterinary students in the UK must complete work experience in the form of extra-mural studies throughout their veterinary degree. This helps them decide which areas of veterinary practice they work in after graduation.

This includes 10 weeks of large animal husbandry in the first two years of their programme, where valuable experience is gained in the handling and husbandry of a range of species – and helps students choose a career in the sector.

Hosting students has multiple benefits for farmers. It provides them with access to up-to-date veterinary knowledge, additional support in animal care, and fosters a new generation of skilled vets familiar with real-world farm practices.

RCVS education director Linda Prescott-Clements said: “We have been working hard to create this new database, which is designed to simplify and streamline the process for everyone involved.

“On the platform, current and prospective providers will be able to feature their placements and showcase key details such as placement type, location, expected caseload, and transport links.”

For details about placements, email ems@rcvs.org.uk or visit rcvs.org.uk