Key points for feeding and management of beef cattle in high-temperature seasons

High temperature and high humidity in summer, especially during the dog days, greatly affect the normal physiological functions of beef cattle, directly manifesting as poor appetite, reduced feed intake, slowed growth and development, and increased incidence of disease, which can very easily cause losses in large-scale housed beef cattle. Therefore, to ensure that beef cattle achieve better production efficiency in summer, feeding and management in summer must be strengthened to reduce heat stress. I. Measures for heat prevention and cooling

1. Strengthen ventilation. All doors, windows and ventilation openings of the cattle barn can be opened, and fans can be installed inside the pens. Turn on the fans from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day to cool the cattle barn, or install blowers at both ends of the pens to strengthen ventilation and cooling of the cattle barn.

2. Sprinkling water to cool down. First, the pens and exercise yard can be sprinkled with water once every 2 hours between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.; second, water-spraying cooling facilities can be installed on the roof of the pens. Cooling with water must be combined with ventilation to achieve the desired effect; otherwise it will cause high temperature and high humidity, producing the opposite effect. Never pour cold water directly on the cattle. Due to the strong cold stimulation, the sweat pores of the whole body of the cattle contract sharply, the release of body heat is hindered, and the body temperature instead rises abruptly. In mild cases, the cattle develop high fever and lung inflammation; in severe cases, it leads to death of the cattle.

3. Improve pen renovation. First, use materials with good heat insulation performance for the cattle barn roof, walls and cattle pen floor, such as laying shavings or foam under the roof tiles, using hollow bricks for the walls, and using insulating cement or slatted floors for the cattle pen floor; second, increase the green area of the farm area to improve the environment within the farm, preferably by planting trees in the pens and exercise yard; third, avoid direct sunlight by pulling sunshade nets over the roof of the beef cattle barn for shading. II. Do a good job in pen hygiene and disinfection to prevent disease occurrence

1. Clean up manure at least 2-3 times a day, disinfect once every 7-10 days, and try to create dry, clean and hygienic environmental conditions for beef cattle.

2. Remove garbage, manure and other materials in the beef cattle pens that easily breed mosquitoes and insects, eliminate mosquitoes and insects, so as to block the transmission route of infectious diseases through mosquitoes and insects.

3. Do a good job in disinfection within the beef cattle pens to cut off the source of infection. According to the situation, different disinfection measures such as ultraviolet lamp irradiation, spraying and drinking water should be adopted.

4. Strengthen the management of feed and drinking water for beef cattle to prevent feed from becoming moldy and deteriorating and drinking water from being contaminated.

5. According to the local immunization program, carry out vaccination in a timely manner to establish a high-level immune population and effectively prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases. III. Key points of feeding and management

1. Rationally formulate the daily ration and appropriately supplement minerals and vitamins. In hot summer, appropriately increase the proportion of protein and energy feed in the daily ration, reduce the intake of crude fiber feed, and at the same time add appetite attractants and select high-quality fresh raw materials to increase feed intake and maintain a relatively high growth rate of beef cattle.

2. Stagger the high-temperature period, feed multiple times and provide frequent drinking water. Add 0.1%-0.2% artificial salt, multivitamins or 0.5% baking soda to the drinking water to regulate the electrolyte balance in the body of beef cattle and reduce the occurrence of heat stress.

3. Reduce stocking density. The reduction ratio is 1/4-1/3, which can avoid crowding, improve air quality and reduce heat stress. Especially for pregnant cows, if the density is too high, they may fight due to hot and irritable conditions and cause abortion, so it is best to raise them in single pens.

4. Control the breeding time. Appropriately avoid breeding and calving in the hottest July-August, and rationally arrange production; at the same time, carry out breeding and semen collection in the cool morning and evening.

5. Rationally arrange the time for cattle herd movement, sale, castration and vaccine injection. This work should be carried out in the cool morning and evening, and long-distance transport of cattle in high-temperature seasons should be avoided. IV. Other precautions

1. Make feed in-and-out plans strict, shorten storage time and speed up turnover.

2. Do a good job in harvesting and storing silage corn, following the principles of "harvest at the right time, put into the silo as soon as possible, cut short and compact, and seal completely."