Livestock Risk

Studies on heat stress in livestock often focus on temperature and humidity, as data on factors like thermal radiation, wind speed, and rainfall are less accessible. The Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) combines air temperature and humidity to measure thermal stress, commonly used in dairy farming to manage heat stress in cows with cooling systems like fans and sprinklers.

The Livestock Risk sub-function helps users assess and visualize risks, including heat stress, by integrating THI for real-time monitoring and predictive analytics. Users can set the season, location, livestock type, and elevation (ASL) in the Settings panel, with advanced options for customizing milk reduction thresholds, cold stress, season comparisons, and units for precipitation and wind speed. After configuring, clicking "Submit" generates a graph showing climate risks and their impact on milk production.

To retrieve data, user must enter the start and end date (1), along with key field details such as location, type of livestock, and altitude (ASL) (2). Additionally, there are advanced settings available, allowing users to specify parameters like milk reduction thresholds, seasonal comparisons, precipitation units, and wind speed preferences (3).

The right y-axis shows milk yield reduction, which increases significantly as THI exceeds 50. In this example, THI rises from April to July, peaking in summer and causing major milk production declines. THI returns to the comfort zone in late autumn and remains low through winter and early spring, highlighting seasonal stress patterns and the need for mitigation during high-THI periods.