kdolu Goodness gracious! It is hotter than a two dollar pistol out here! With highs in the nineties and some wicked humidity, everyone here at the farm is a wee bit cranky. I hate the heat, my hair hates the heat and, most importantly, the cows hate the heat!
A perfect day for a cow? A gloomy and cool fifty-five degree day. So you can imagine how they feel when the temp hits ninety. Not thrilled about it.
We want our cows to be comfortable and happy, so there are a few things we do to cool them down when things get hot. Not only do we provide them with shade, feed and easy access to water, but we have some additional cooling agents in the barn.
It is might be tricky to see in the photo, but above the cows are misters. The misters in our barn work manually, but many farms have automatic misters that rotate on and off when the temperature hits a certain point. It is basically like their own personal sprinkler! The work great and help keep the cows (and the farmers) cool.
We also have a series of GIANT fans that keep the air moving in the barn and help keep the cows cool. These babies run just about all spring and summer long. Like I said, cows like it cold!
The heat is unavoidable and can cause stress on the cows, but we do what we can. When the temps are extreme, we avoid working the cattle and adding extra stress. This means no pen moves, no vaccinations, no hoof trimming, etc. Just keep things simple and let the cows focus on staying cool. We do everything we can to keep our cows happy. Why? Because happy cows are the best cows and the best cows make milk! 🙂
Okay, so I told you how we keep the cows cool, but how do I stay cool? Well, that is easy. Ice cream. Lots and lots of ice cream.
Sometimes, even for breakfast.
Which probably isn’t good for my waistline, but what is a girl to do when it is freakin’ hot and there is a freezer full of ice cream at the farm????!
One of my favorite ways to eat ice cream, is with homemade strawberry sauce.  Making strawberry sauce is actually easier than you think and is super delicious, especially during strawberry season!  I like to use the Pioneer Woman’s recipe.
Mmmmm! So good! Now, I know you got a stash of ice cream in the freezer; go make yourself a bowl now! After all, it is Ice Cream Month, I can’t think of a better reason to indulge in one of dairy’s finest products!
Check out how some of my other farming friends are enjoying Ice Cream Month!
Farmer Bright, Enough Ice Cream
Kimmy’s Dairyland, Mint Chocolate Ice Cream
New Mexico Milk Maid, Why this Ice Cream Addict has a New Addiction
Eat Farm Love, The Scoop on my 5 Favorite Ice Cream Recipes
New Day Dairy, Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal A La Mode
The Deere Milkmaid, Gimme the Jimmies
Guernsey Dairy Momma, Oregon Ice Cream
New Moon Dairy, In Celebration of Ice Cream
Dairy Good Life, Sadie’s Homemade Ice Cream
