Comparison of climate data obtained from on-farm loggers and meteorological data and the effect of heat stress on production data.

Abstract

["The temperature humidity index (THI) is used as a heat stress indicator and ascertains heat load intensity by means of dry-bulb temperature and relative humidity. A period of heat stress results in general in decreased productivity, health risk and decreased welfare. Lots of research already has been done on the effects of heat stress. A paucity of data is the use of meteorological data instead of on-farm climate data in these studies, because on-farm climate loggers do have more accurate measurements in the microenvironment in the barn itself. The aim of this study was to compare on-farm climate conditions to climate conditions measured by an official meteorological station in the Netherlands and to investigate a relationship between the climate data in barns and production variables.","The temperature humidity index (THI) is used as a heat stress indicator and ascertains heat load intensity by means of dry-bulb temperature and relative humidity. A period of heat stress results in general in decreased productivity, health risk and decreased welfare. Lots of research already has been done on the effects of heat stress. A paucity of data is the use of meteorological data instead of on-farm climate data in these studies, because on-farm climate loggers do have more accurate measurements in the microenvironment in the barn itself. The aim of this study was to compare on-farm climate conditions to climate conditions measured by an official meteorological station in the Netherlands and to investigate a relationship between the climate data in barns and production variables."]