There are several things you can do to improve the cow comfort during heat stress.

1. Provide enough cool and clean water: install additional drinkers if there are less than 2 drinkers per group. Also when there is less than 10cm drinking space per head or when cows cannot drink directly after milking
2. Fly control: flies cause additional discomfort and stress. 
3. Block direct sunlight from entering the barn through the roof
4. Install fans both behind the feed fence and above the area where animals lay down
5. Install a sprinkler system at the feed fence, during milking or provide soaking showers in the return alley. (prevent the udder from getting wet. Quick and profound cooling is important!)
6. Stock wet co-products so that you have a longer storage period (consider bagging them for a better conservation!)
7. Feed twice a day: remove leftovers twice a day and clean the feeding wagon once a day. Leftover feed bits can infect the fresh feed causing it to heat up.
8. Check feeding speed of silages. Consider re-ensiling half empty silages to increase feeding speed
9. Remove warm or spoiled material from silages before feeding and spray the front with heat inhibitor after feeding.
10. Provide the same conditions for dry cows as for lactating cows! Heat stressed dry cows produce smaller calves and give less milk in the coming lactation.
11. Stock a buffer and have a suitable mineral pack in place with more anti-oxidants and additives which will help to reduce the impact of heat stress. 

 

Well conserved co-products can help reduce the negative impact through heat stress as they reduce selection, help to keep the ration cool, often provide energy without raising starch levels. Because they increase total ration palatability they help to keep feed intake up as well.