AgWeb had a fascinating article recently that discussed one Michigan farmer’s response to stressful weather conditions on his herd of dairy cattle. He built a large barn modeled on a swine facility with a roof and slatted floor plus open sides which reduces temperature-related stress and respiratory problems and improves weight gain in his cows. The ventilation system makes the barn ten degrees warmer in winter and ten degrees cooler in summer. The floor also helps him easily collect manure to use as fertilizer.
Adaptation by increasing shade and other building options like the facility described here are ways that farmers can use to reduce their susceptibility to extreme weather and climate conditions in the future.
