Heat stress among dairy cattle is a genuine issue that deserves more attention than it receives. In fact, it is one of the most underestimated seasonal risks capable of turning a routine summer week into a compliance problem. Cows that yield a lot of milk generate enormous metabolic heat. Naturally, when humidity levels start to climb, a herd of cows finds it difficult to cool down. Soon, losses follow, and every fallen creature becomes a regulated waste stream. That is where the collectors of fallen stock in Glastonbury enter the scene.
Instead of being an afterthought, fallen stock collectors should become part of your summer plan. Today, you will learn why.
How the Summer Heat Becomes Sudden Dairy Losses
Dairy cows find cool and damp conditions comfortable, but there is a flipside to that. Some places are not well adapted to heat. As the temperature-humidity index rises, cows reduce their food intake and start drinking more. They stand for longer periods to lose heat and divert energy away from milk and rumen function. This situation causes fertility to drop while worsening lameness. The animals gather around water sources and in the shade to survive. Any cow already battling mastitis, a difficult calving, or a displaced abomasum has very little energy left in reserve. When a heatwave arrives, these creatures, along with the oldest, are more likely to die.
Recognising the Warning Signs
If you do not want to contact removers of fallen stock in Glastonbury, you must take heat-stress management steps long before losing an animal. Watch for rapid open-mouthed breathing, crowding in a shaded area, drooling, a significant drop in the bulk tank, and cows that stop lying down. Provide these animals with a few extra water troughs and build a shade over the collecting yards. You should also install fans in the parlour holding area and feed them during cooler hours of the day.
The Twenty-Four-Hour Duty
Based on the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013, it is the duty of a keeper to ensure fallen stock is collected without undue delay. Also, the industry standard is to respond within 24 hours of discovery. On-farm burning and burial have become illegal across the UK since 2003, with only a few limited exceptions for extremely remote areas. Unless your farm is situated in such a location, digging a hole in a corner of your land and burying or burning dead animals there is not an option for you.
The Importance of Fast Collection
A cow carcass reacts differently to summer heat because the high temperature increases bacterial infestation, bloating, and fluid secretion after a few hours. Within a short while, your farm will be full of flies and the odour of rotting flesh. Also, you will have to deal with the possibility of fluid seepage from the body, which could pollute nearby water sources. A dead cow that does not decompose overnight in winter will become a problem in just a few hours in summer. That is why same-day collection of fallen stock is a necessity.
Thankfully, you do not have to look far. If you require same-day fallen stock collection services in Glastonbury, you should get in touch with South West Fallen Stock. We provide a reliable, fully-licensed Category 1 fallen stock collection service for farms, smallholdings, veterinary premises, and rural properties across the South West. We offer safe and professional collection and disposal, helping livestock owners meet their legal obligations while ensuring strict compliance with animal by-product regulations.
Get in touch with us today.