Field note · 3 min · 2026-09-07
Walk the dry yard at two o’clock
The milk barn can look cooled while the next lactation pants in a still pocket.
ShareWalk the dry yard at two o’clock
Penn State’s dry-cow cooling work is easy to skip because those cows are not on the parlor sheet. They still make heat, and they still need shade, air, and water.
If the dry pen is a south-facing dirt lot with one tank and no moving air, you are booking next lactation before the calf hits the ground.
A cooling plan that ends at the milk barn is half a plan.
Sources
- Cooling Dry Cows to Improve Health and Production — Penn State Extension
- Heat Stress Abatement Techniques for Dairy Cattle — Penn State Extension