Abstract
Thermal indices as environmental risk indicators have been used to assess heat stress of dairy cows. The present study aimed to evaluate the predictive performance of the typical cattle-related thermal indices by comparing their prediction to heat stress levels and associations with some physiological responses. The study was conducted from August to September 2019 in a naturally ventilated barn in Jiangsu, China. Nine typical cattle-related thermal indices, i.e., temperature-humidity index (THI), black globe temperature index (BGHI), equivalent temperature index, effective temperature (ET) for dairy cows, respiratory rate predictor (RRP), adjusted temperature-humidity index (THIadj), heat load index (HLI), comprehensive climate index (CCI), and equivalent temperature index for cattle (ETIC), were evaluated. Respiration rate (RR) and body surface temperature (BST) were collected twice per day from a total of 287 lactating cows, 18 of which were continuously measured vaginal temperature (VT). Over the experimental period, the average daily RR, VT, and BST were 55.8 breaths/min, 38.7 °C, and 32.3 to 36.4 °C that depend on body positions, respectively. The study found that the prediction of THI, BGHI, THIadj, and CCI was closer to the actual heat stress conditions which were mild to moderate heat stress. Correlation analyses showed that RR, VT, and BST correlated most closely with effective temperature (r = 0.580; P < 0.05), BGHI (r = 0.642; P < 0.05), and CCI (r = 0.849; P < 0.05). In this evaluation, based on the comprehensive performance of CCI in the relatively accurate prediction to heat stress level and duration, detection on environmental differences between standing and lying zone, and correlations with some physiological responses, CCI is seemingly the promising thermal index to assess heat stress of housed dairy cows.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amamou H, Beckers Y, Mahouachi M, Hammami H (2019) Thermotolerance indicators related to production and physiological responses to heat stress of Holstein cows. J Therm Biol 82:90–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2019.03.016
Ammer S, Lambertz C, Gauly M (2016) Comparison of different measuring methods for body temperature in lactating cows under different climatic conditions. J Dairy Res 83:165–172. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022029916000182
Angrecka S, Herbut P (2016) Impact of barn orientation on insolation and temperature of stalls surface. Ann Anim Sci 16:887–896. https://doi.org/10.1515/aoas-2015-0096
Armstrong DV (1994) Heat stress interaction with shade and cooling. J Dairy Sci 77:2044–2050. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(94)77149-6
ASHRAE (2013) ASHRAE handbook of fundamentals. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers Inc, Atlanta
Baeta FC, Meador NF, Shanklin MD, Johnson HD (1987) Equivalent temperature index at temperatures above the thermoneutral for lactating dairy cows. ASAE Paper No. 874015, St. Joseph, MI, USA
Berman A et al (1985) Upper critical temperatures and forced ventilation effects for high-yielding dairy cows in a subtropical climate. J Dairy Sci 68:1488–1495. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(84)81501-5
Bernabucci U, Biffani S, Buggiotti L, Vitali A, Lacetera N, Nardone A (2014) The effects of heat stress in Italian Holstein dairy cattle. J Dairy Sci 97:471–486. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2013-6611
Bohmanova J, Misztal I, Cole JB (2007) Temperature-humidity indices as indicators of milk production losses due to heat stress. J Dairy Sci 90:1947–1956. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2006-513
Buffington DE, Collazoarocho A, Canton GH, Pitt D, Thatcher WW, Collier RJ (1981) Black globe-humidity index (BGHI) as comfort equation for dairy cows. Trans ASAE 24:711–714. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.34325
Da Silva RG, Morais DAEF, Guilhermino MM (2007) Evaluation of thermal stress indexes for dairy cows in tropical regions. R Bras Zootec 36:1192–1198. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-35982007000500028
Da Silva RG, Maia ASC, de Macedo Costa LL (2015) Index of thermal stress for cows (ITSC) under high solar radiation in tropical environments. Int J Biometeorol 59:551–559. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-014-0868-7
Du Preez JH (2001) Parameters for the determination and evaluation of heat stress in dairy cattle in South Africa. Onderstepoort J Vet Res 67:263–271. https://doi.org/10.1292/jvms.62.1331
Eigenberg RA, Brown-Brandl TM, Nienaber JA, Hahn GL (2005) Dynamic response indicators of heat stress in shaded and non-shaded feedlot cattle, part 2: predictive relationships. Biosyst Eng 91:111–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2005.02.001
Gaughan JB, Mader TL, Holt SM, Lisle A (2008) A new heat load index for feedlot cattle. J Anim Sci 86:226–234. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2007-0305
Gebremedhin KG, Wu B (2001) A model of evaporative cooling of wet skin surface and fur layer. J Therm Biol 26:537–545. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4565(00)00048-6
Godyń D, Herbut P, Angrecka S (2019) Measurements of peripheral and deep body temperature in cattle – a review. J Therm Biol 79:42–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.11.011
Hahn G, Gaughan J, Mader TL, Eigenberg RA (2009) Chapter 5: thermal indices and their applications for livestock environments. In: DeShazer JA (ed) Livestock energetics and thermal environmental management. ASABE, St. Joseph, pp 113–130
Hammami H, Bormann J, M’hamdi N, Montaldo HH, Gengler N (2013) Evaluation of heat stress effects on production traits and somatic cell score of Holsteins in a temperate environment. J Dairy Sci 96:1844–1855. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2012-5947
Heinicke J, Hoffmann G, Ammon C, Amon B, Amon T (2018) Effects of the daily heat load duration exceeding determined heat load thresholds on activity traits of lactating dairy cows. J Therm Biol 77:67–74
Herbut P (2013) Temperature, humidity and air movement variations inside a free-stall barn during heavy frost. Ann Anim Sci 13:587–596. https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2013-0025
Herbut P, Angrecka S, Godyń D (2018a) Effect of the duration of high air temperature on cow’s milking performance in moderate climate conditions. Ann Anim Sci 18:195–207. https://doi.org/10.1515/aoas-2017-0017
Herbut P, Angrecka S, Walczak J (2018b) Environmental parameters to assessing of heat stress in dairy cattle-a review. Int J Biometeorol 62:2089–2097. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-018-1629-9
Herbut P, Angrecka S, Godyń D, Hoffmann G (2019) The physiological and productivity effects of heat stress in cattle – a review. Ann Anim Sci 19:579–593. https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2019-0011
Hoffmann G, Schmidt M, Ammon C, Rosemeierhofer S, Burfeind O, Heuwieser W, Berg W (2013) Monitoring the body temperature of cows and calves using video recordings from an infrared thermography camera. Vet Res Commun 37:91–99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-012-9549-3
Loker S, Bastin C, Miglior F, Sewalem A, Schaeffer LR, Jamrozik J, Ali A, Osborne V (2012) Genetic and environmental relationships between body condition score and milk production traits in Canadian Holsteins. J Dairy Sci 95:410–419. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2011-4497
Mader TL, Davis MS, Brown-Brandl T (2006) Environmental factors influencing heat stress in feedlot cattle. J Anim Sci 84:712–719. https://doi.org/10.2527/2006.843712x
Mader TL, Johnson LJ, Gaughan JB (2010) A comprehensive index for assessing environmental stress in animals. J Anim Sci 88:2153–2165. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2009-2586
Maia ASC, Da Silva RG, Battiston Loureiro CM (2005) Sensible and latent heat loss from the body surface of Holstein cows in a tropical environment. Int J Biometeorol 50:17–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-005-0267-1
McManus C, Tanure CB, Peripolli V, Seixas L, Fischer V, Gabbi AM, Menegassi SRO, Stumpf MT, Kolling GJ, Dias E, Costa JBG Jr (2016) Infrared thermography in animal production: an overview. Comput Electron Agric 123:10–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2016.01.027
Mondaca MR, Choi CY, Cook NB (2019) Understanding microenvironments within tunnel-ventilated dairy cow freestall facilities: examination using computational fluid dynamics and experimental validation. Biosyst Eng 183:70–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2019.04.014
Montanholi YR, Odongo NE, Swanson KC, Schenkel FS, McBride BW, Miller SP (2008) Application of infrared thermography as an indicator of heat and methane production and its use in the study of skin temperature in response to physiological events in dairy cattle (Bos taurus). J Therm Biol 33:468–475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2008.09.001
Montanholi YR, Lim M, Macdonald A, Smith BA, Goldhawk C, Schwartzkopf-Genswein K, Miller SP (2015) Technological, environmental and biological factors: referent variance values for infrared imaging of the bovine. J Anim Sci Biotechno 6:27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-015-0027-y
Nordlund KV, Strassburg P, Bennett TB, Oetzel GR, Cook NB (2019) Thermodynamics of standing and lying behavior in lactating dairy cows in freestall and parlor holding pens during conditions of heat stress. J Dairy Sci 102:6495–6507. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2018-15891
NRC (1971) A guide to environmental research on animals. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C
Peng D, Chen S, Li G, Chen J, Wang J, Gu X (2019) Infrared thermography measured body surface temperature and its relationship with rectal temperature in dairy cows under different temperature-humidity indexes. Int J Biometeorol 63:327–336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-018-01666-x
Pinto S, Hoffmann G, Ammon C, Amon B, Heuwieser W, Halachmi I, Banhazi T, Amon T (2019) Influence of barn climate, body postures and milk yield on the respiration rate of dairy cows. Ann Anim Sci 19:469–481. https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2019-0006
Pinto S, Hoffmann G, Ammon C, Amon T (2020) Critical THI thresholds based on the physiological parameters of lactating dairy cows. J Therm Biol 88:102523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102523
Polsky L, von Keyserlingk MAG (2017) Invited review: effects of heat stress on dairy cattle welfare. J Dairy Sci 100:8645–8657. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2017-12651
St-Pierre NR, Cobanov B, Schnitkey G (2003) Economic losses from heat stress by US livestock industries. J Dairy Sci 86:E52–E77. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(03)74040-5
Thom EC (1959) The discomfort index. Weatherwise 12:57–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/00431672.1959.9926960
Unruh EM, Theurer ME, White BJ, Larson RL, Drouillard JS, Schrag N (2017) Evaluation of infrared thermography as a diagnostic tool to predict heat stress events in feedlot cattle. Am J Vet Res 78:771–777. https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.78.7.771
Wang X, Bjerg BS, Choi CY, Zong C, Zhang GQ (2018a) A review and quantitative assessment of cattle-related thermal indices. J Therm Biol 77:24–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.08.005
Wang X, Gao H, Gebremedhin KG, Bjerg BS, Van Os J, Tucker CB, Zhang G (2018b) A predictive model of equivalent temperature index for dairy cattle (ETIC). J Therm Biol 76:165–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.07.013
Wang X, Zhang G, Choi CY (2018c) Effect of airflow speed and direction on convective heat transfer of standing and reclining cows. Biosyst Eng 167:87–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2017.12.011
West JW (2003) Effects of heat-stress on production in dairy cattle. J Dairy Sci 86:2131–2144. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(03)73803-X
Yamamoto A, Yamamoto S, Yamagishi N, Shishido H (1989) Effects of environmental temperature and air movement on thermoregulatory responses of lactating cows: an assessment of air movement in terms of effective temperature. Japanese J Zootech Sci 60:728–733. https://doi.org/10.2508/chikusan.60.728
Zimbelman RB, Collier RJ (2011) Feeding strategies for high-producing dairy cows during periods of elevated heat and humidity. In: Tri-state dairy nutrition conference, Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA, 2011. pp. 111–125
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the help provided by Shenfeng dairy farm in Yancheng, China, where the experiments were carried out.
Funding
This work was supported by China Agriculture Research System (funding code: CARS-36).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethics statement
The protocols of this experiment were approved by the Ethics Committee on Animal Experimentation of China Agricultural University.
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yan, G., Li, H., Zhao, W. et al. Evaluation of thermal indices based on their relationships with some physiological responses of housed lactating cows under heat stress. Int J Biometeorol 64, 2077–2091 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-020-01999-6
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-020-01999-6