Research Proves Cows Can Be Cooled from the Inside Out

There is a lot to lose when it comes to heat stress, lower milk production, a dip in reproduction numbers, and lower dry matter intake all come to mind. While sprinklers, fans, and other on-farm management practices can offer some relief, there is still a risk of increased body temperatures and decreased production. Preparing a cow for heat stress by feeding a heat stress additive can help improve her body’s response and help you lose less this summer.  

Our proven proactive heat stress additive, Promote® I.C.E.® PLUS, has key ingredients that include an osmolyte. Osmolytes are small organic compounds found in nature that attract water molecules and work with heat shock proteins to protect the cell from damage due to heat stress. They are like electrolytes in the way they help maintain cell hydration. But, unlike electrolytes, osmolytes can be fed to dry cows because they have no effect on their DCAD diets.

Research trials and more than 20 years of in-field experience demonstrates the success of Promote I.C.E. PLUS. The proprietary combination of key ingredients helps cattle better regulate their body temperature during heat stress, keeping cattle cool from the inside out.

 

Effect on Core Body Temperature

The internal cooling elements (I.C.E) of Promote I.C.E. PLUS work at the cellular level to help cattle better regulate their body temperature during heat stress. Trials show that, on average, the body temperature of cows fed Promote I.C.E. are cooler than cows not fed Promote I.C.E. during heat stress.

 

Commercial Dairy Trial - Effect on Heat Tolerance 

In a research trial on a commercial dairy in Indiana, milk production declined for both groups during heat stress events; however, the cows fed Promote I.C.E. recovered milk production faster than the control group, especially after the more severe heat stress event.

 

Commercial Dairy Trial - Effect on Milk Production 

Over the trial period, cattle fed the diet with Promote I.C.E. averaged 106.7 lbs./cow/day as compared to the control group averaging 104.5 lbs./cow/day, resulting in an additional 130 pounds of milk per cow from the cows fed Promote I.C.E. compared to the control group during the two-month trial period.

Heat stress happens. But significant losses in production don’t have to follow. Promote I.C.E. PLUS helps her better sustain dry matter intake, hydration, and milk production. So, she recovers more quickly from heat stress, and there’s less impact on your bottom line.

Include Promote I.C.E. PLUS into your feeding strategy during the summer months as well as increasing energy and protein density of the ration to meet requirements when intake is diminished during heat stress.

Add to the diet before conditions of heat stress exist and continued feeding until nighttime temperatures are consistently below the heat stress threshold (<60° F).

Ask your nutritionist or feed mill about including Promote I.C.E. PLUS in your rations when the temperatures rise. Or learn more on the product webpage.

 

Sources:

Provimi Proprietary Data. Brazil I.C.E. Trial (2011).

Provimi Proprietary Data. Indiana I.C.E. Trial (2013).

Provimi Proprietary Data. Texas I.C.E. Trial (2009).