Increasing Summer Gains of Livestock

Abstract

Methods of keeping livestock cool during the summer in the Imperial Valley of California were investigated in 1952 and 1953. The mean air temperature during the test periods was 91.8 degrees F. for the 1952 period, and 91.3 degrees F. for 1953. The temperature of the cool drinking water was 65±2 degrees F. for both years and the uncooled water averaged slightly over 89 degrees F. Work thus far shows that there are four ways of helping cattle keep cool and make faster gains during the summer. Work at this station has definitely shown that proper precautions will materially increase the daily gains of animals during the summer. This aid in some cases at first seems to be so insignificant as not to be worth the effort, but it does actually tip the animals heat balance toward the zone of thermal neutrality, as the daily gains show. Copyright © . .