Alva Review-Courier -

The heat of summer is setting in, and after a cool spring, livestock are not yet fully acclimated to warmer temperatures. In a recent edition of the Oklahoma State University Extension Cow-Calf Corner newsletter, Paul Beck, Extension beef nutrition specialist, said cattle could suffer from heat stress.

“In hot summer conditions, heat transfer failures cause accumulation of body heat resulting in heat stress, reduced performance, animal discomfort or death,” he said. “When animals experience discomfort from heat stress, their behaviors change to reduce heat load.”

These reactive behaviors inclu...