Influence of the use of air cooling means in easily assembled premises on the behavior and comfort of cows during high temperatures

Abstract

The aim of this work was to study the influence of the use of air cooling means in easily assembled premises on the behavior and comfort of cows during periods of dangerous value of the temperature-humidity index (THI). The research was conducted during July 2020 in the central part of Ukraine (Kyiv region, Bila Tserkva district) during a long high-temperature load. The value of the daily ambient air temperature ranged from +19 to +34°С, and the relative humidity was 46–78%. Two farms with loose cows and different animal comfort options were selected for the study. The first option is to be loose in an easy-to-assemble room with fans installed above the aft table to cool the air. Fan hours from 12:00 to 17:00. The second option is loose keeping in an easy-to-assemble room on a deep, long-lasting straw litter. It was found that the use of ventilation systems allowed to reduce by 5.3°C the average daily values of air temperature compared to keeping on deep litter without ventilation systems. The values equivalent temperature index (ETI) and the index of equivalent temperature for cattle (ETIC), which indicate the level of sensitivity of the body during prolonged high temperatures, were lower by 1.63°C, and ETIC by 1.11 compared to keeping in deep litter without systems ventilation. The duration of lying down under the option of keeping cows using air cooling elements was higher by 68 min/day compared to keeping on deep litter without air cooling elements. In a cowshed with ventilation systems, the energy consumption for heat transfer of the body was 63.1 MJ, which is 5.4 MJ lower than in a cowshed on deep litter without the use of ventilation systems.