The effect of extreme weather on the health and productivity of dairy cows

The negative consequences of heat for Swedish dairy farmers and their dairy cow received national attention during the unusually warm summer of 2018. However, extreme heat is not the only type of extreme weather event that farmers are facing. What other challenges do farmers perceive? And how do we prepare for a future where extreme weather events become more frequent?

By combining historical data about animal health, reproduction and milk production with weather data we will investigate the impact of temperature, sun, rain and wind on Swedish dairy cows. We will use this to make estimations of economic impact of extreme weather on the individual dairy producers as well as the consequences for dairy production in Sweden.

While  understanding the impact of extreme weather is important, providing dairy farmer with support on how to prepare and avoid negative consequences is essential for handling future challenges. By in-depth interviews, a scientific method developed to explore drivers and complex associations, farmer views on preparedness to extreme weather events will be explored. Exploring opportunities and barriers for preparedness will provide understanding of dairy farmers current situation and their practical needs in the adaptation to a more resilient production.

We will also perform phone interviews and farm visits to a selection of farms. Both farms that have a record of managing the summer season without major impact on udder health and reproduction and farms where a clear change is observed during summer will be visited. By comparing them we hope to identify strategies that can help farms manage the warmer periods of the year and minimise the negative impact of heat.