The variability of microclimate parameters in dairy cattle farm facility

Abstract

Since the change in climate is unquestionable if we plan to have sustainable milk production we need to implement a long-term mitigation method. A precondition for the genetic evaluation and selection of genetically heat-resistant animals is the measurement and analysis of the variability of microclimate parameters. Therefore, this research aimed to show the variability of microclimate parameters in a selected dairy cattle farm. The records of ambient temperature and relative humidity in the selected farm were measured using a Datalogger. The conducted research and data analysis indicate noticeable variability of observed microclimate parameters (ambient temperature, relative humidity and temperature-humidity index) in regard to the measurement days. Determined daily THI values indicate a high probability of the occurrence of heat stress in the observed period. Furthermore, daily monitoring of microclimate parameters enables timely reaction and prevention of more serious consequences of heat stress on dairy cows.