Not only people are suffering from new record temperatures across France: even cows high in the mountains need fans to survive the heat wave.
Despite an altitude of 780 meters (2,600 feet), the mercury has risen to 34 degrees Celsius (93 Fahrenheit) at Nicolas Joannon’s farm in the mountains near the eastern city of Lyon.
It’s too hot for Lila, Glee, Pistachio and the rest of his herd of 35 dairy cows to spend the afternoon outside.
But luckily for her, Joannon has installed two giant 4.5 meter (nearly 15 foot) diameter fans in his barn.
They can now relax in their thatched boxes under the whirling shovels that lower the temperature by a few degrees.
Growers must constantly adapt to climate change, says Joannon.
“When the temperatures rise, the animals become heat stressed, they tend to eat less and produce a little less milk,” says the 34-year-old, who runs his 45-hectare family farm.
“But if they are put in good conditions to survive the heatwave, the animals will recover to their original production levels immediately after it ends and continue to produce quality milk for consumers,” he adds.
In 2020, Joannon had two fans installed for €9,000 ($9,000).
The fan blades start spinning automatically – the hotter it gets, the faster they spin.
Joannon says the cows are less lethargic since the fans were installed.
– 180 liters of water per day –
Dairy cows are very sensitive to temperature. Above 22°C (71°F) and 50% humidity, they accumulate heat in their bodies, which reduces milk production.
While each animal produces between 28 and 38 liters of milk per day, the heat can result in a daily loss of two liters.
“At 22°C a cow can adapt, but from 28-30°C she will suffer,” says Alexandre Batia, 44, in charge of barn ventilation at the Rhone Breeding Council, an association that advises breeders.
Around one in five dairy farms in the region already have fans installed in their barns and the waiting list for council help has been growing.
But fans need to complement good practices, he says, like feeding the cows nightly and adding extra water troughs, since they can drink up to 180 liters (47 gallons) of water a day.
Bertrand Fagoo, project manager at the French Livestock Institute (IDELE), says that until recently, heat stress was only an issue in the south of France, but breeders across the country are now having to adapt their practices.
For him, installing fans is a “secondary improvement” that must come after opening up and shading buildings.
“We shouldn’t stir up hot, stale air in a closed room,” says the 53-year-old researcher.
Batia says spraying water on animals could be another option, but it carries the risk of increasing indoor humidity levels.
It is also advisable “to ventilate buildings homogeneously,” he says, because “otherwise the cows will clump together in the most comfortable areas, block circulation and accumulate heat.”
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