I look at the 10 day forecast and see that a cool front will be coming through in about a week that will drop temperatures 7 degrees. I'm looking forward to that. So are the cows. Poor girls. They move slow in the heat, panting, with their long tongues out. I feel sorry for them. Our Jersey cows, as their name suggests, originated from Jersey, a channel island right off France. I looked up the average temperature there and it is 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Louisiana's average annual temperature is 66 degrees F and is the third warmest state in the US.
Our cows will sit in the shade until the late afternoon and will gradually gravitate out to the pasture as the shadows appear in the late afternoon. It is during these times that they can't keep up with the growth of the grass in the pasture and the grass grows tall, tough, and goes to seed. The milk cows just don't like this weather. Yesterday after milking, Tricia asked if I wouldn't mind hosing Rosie and Daisy down with water to cool them off. Not a problem. I asked Benjamin to help spray as I went and turned on the water, remembering how good it felt to be sprayed off by a water hose when I was hot and sweaty.
Splish Splash! |
Daisy patiently waited her turn to be hosed down. While we have do have a couple of box fans in the barn, they are mainly for cooling US down as we milk. It is doggone hot in the barn with no breeze blowing.
Almost your turn, Daisy |
You can almost see how the cool water rejuvenated Rosie, making her feel refreshed and ready to head out and eat some grass before nightfall. She's holding her head a little higher and is more perky. Be patient, girls. Fall and Winter are on their way...
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