Episode 356 - Heat Stress and Water Intake in Dairy Cows - UMN Extension's The Moos Room

Episode 356 - Heat Stress and Water Intake in Dairy Cows - UMN Extension's The Moos Room

From The Moos Room™ by University of Minnesota Extension

July 20, 2026 · 16 min · Episode 357

About this episode

This episode discusses the impact of heat stress on water intake in dairy cows and the necessary preparations for farms.

This episode examines how heat stress affects water intake in dairy cows—and why farms must prepare their watering systems for increasingly hot weather. A review of studies from 1985–2024 found that Holstein cows producing roughly 65–70 pounds of milk averaged about 24 gallons of water per day under thermoneutral conditions. During heat stress, intake increased by approximately 10 liters, or 2–3 gallons, per cow per day. Each one-unit increase in the temperature-humidity index was associated with another 1.5 liters of water intake. Although heat-stressed cows produce less milk, they drink more because the additional water supports evaporative cooling and body-temperature regulation. Data from the University of Minnesota’s dairy herd revealed a more complicated picture. smaXtec sensors showed that cows averaged around 23 gallons per day, but estimated intake declined during summer. Possible reasons include warmer drinking water, pasture water access, competition at waterers, and changes in drinking behavior. Cows generally drank only four or five times per day, consuming roughly 14–20 liters at each visit. Peak drinking also shifted from midafternoon in winter to around 7 p.m. in…

People in this episode

Host: University of Minnesota Extension

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Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Minnesota Extension

Products: smaXtec sensors

Places: Minnesota, dairy herd

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