Animal welfare
Episode 23 – Sheltering cows in a changing climate
With extreme weather events becoming more common, hot days in the sun are bad enough for people – so what are we doing for our livestock? Heat stress is a concerning issue for cows, but what are some cost-effective, practical solutions? And is it part of a broader conversation about farm-system resilience?
Hear from three experts in this field: Kyle Wills on a practical farm try-out; Annabel Davies on what Pāmu have implemented; and Dr Helen Beattie on practical solutions from an animal welfare perspective.
Shade Trees for Cows & Profit
Trees could be making a comeback on the Canterbury Plains as the area looks to become more resilient to climate change – and pines may not get a look in.
Words Delwyn Dickey
Keeping your cows cool in the summer heat
Hot days can be uncomfortable for all of us. Cows feel the heat too – but they have a lower tolerance for hot weather than we do, mostly because they are ruminants and bigger than us, writes Ross Bishop.
Ruminating on grass
Ever wondered where all those stats come from about how much a cow can eat? By Karen Trebilcock.
Coping with the heat
Heat stress in cows is an increasingly worrying phenomenon, due to changing weather patterns. Vet Katie Mason shares how to best cope with the heat.