Global climate change leads to an increase in the frequency of heat periods, even in moderate climate zones such as Switzerland. Dairy cattle are particularly vulnerable to heat stress, which impairs performance as well as animal health and welfare. Cooling measures, commonly used inside the stable, are often not suitable for pastured cattle during heat periods.
The objectives of the project are to identify heat stress early and reliably by using behavioral traits in pasture-based systems and to evaluate effective strategies to minimize heat load in dairy cows through:
Project partner
