Animals are suffering as a result of the extreme heat that has engulfed cities and countryside, with cows producing up to 15% less milk due to heat stress, despite showers and fans turned on to cool the stables and prepare for the long, sweltering summer of 2023. This is the warning issued by Coldiretti in response to the heat wave affecting Italy, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius, putting people and animals to the test. The optimal temperature range for cows is between 22 and 24 degrees; above this limit, the animals eat less, drink more, and produce less milk. As a result, anti-heat countermeasures have been implemented in the stables, where the drinking troughs are running at full capacity because every single animal has come to drink with the high temperatures of these days, consuming up to 140 liters of water per day compared to 70 during the less hot periods. Fans and cooling showers have also been installed in the stables to help the cows better withstand the heat, and meals are given a little at a time to help the cows feed themselves without weighing themselves down. To the decrease in milk production, to help the animals withstand the siege of the heat, are therefore added the greater consumption of energy and water.
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