Vaquitas in the shade: Pay attention to the heat stress indices in cattle, which in the coming days will reach high values.

Humans are not the only ones suffering from the heat, and the livestock sector knows it. With the arrival of high summer temperatures in Argentina, heat stress in cattle becomes a concrete concern for producers and technicians. Beyond the immediate effect of the heat, heat waves like the one our country is going through impact the physiology, behavior, and productive performance of animals, generating losses in fertility, production, feed efficiency, and even the risk of death from heat stroke. Each day with extreme thermal conditions ultimately translates into a day of loss for livestock production. One of the main effects of the unbearable summer is heat stress, which is not simply heat, but is defined as the set of physiological and behavioral changes that trigger extreme environmental conditions. Among the first signs are increased respiratory rate, higher water consumption, and the active search for shade. As the stress intensifies, animals reduce their movements, eat less, ...