At high temperatures, which do not fall below 20 °C even at night, calves suffer under heat stress. This is particularly the case if they are kept in igloos or hutches. The following tips will help you to reduce stress for the calves.

Five helpful measures at high temperatures

Provide for shadow and fresh air

The air in the igloos heats up extremely in the sun. Temperatures of around 50 °C are not uncommon (see picture). If possible, move the igloos so that they are in a shady place, at least during lunchtime. Alternatively, you can provide shade with nets or sunshades.
Careful ventilation of the hutch also promotes heat dissipation and prevents draughts.

Maintain drinking hygiene

Germs multiply rapidly in the drinking trough and drinking buckets, especially in warm and humid conditions. Clean the buckets regularly and offer fresh milk more frequently, especially with ad libitum drinking.

Always offer water ad libitum

Calves sweat a lot more at high temperatures. This causes them to lose a lot of water. This loss of water not only weakens the animals, but also reduces growth, because: No water means no weight gain! Therefore, always offer your calves fresh, clean water from the first day of life.

Litter diligently

The missing air exchange in the igloos increases the harmful gas load. Make sure the litter is dry and tidy. In this way, you can reduce harmful gases and relieve the calves' lungs.

Compensate for sweat losses with electrolyte drinks

As minerals and buffer substances are also lost during sweating, you should support your calves with an electrolyte drink between milk feeds in addition to water. SCHAUMANN ISOLYT offers a good basic supply of electrolytes and quickly available glucose for this purpose. KALBI-LYT offers all-round support (Fig. 1 and 2) consisting of electrolytes, buffer substances, vitamins, selenium and probiotics to stabilize digestion, which is particularly important in the warm season.

With a dosage of 50 g KALBI-LYT per liter of water or 50 ml SCHAUMANN ISOLYT in the milk meal, you can actively support your calves against the effects of heat stress.