Yield drops every summer. Some of that is unavoidable, but most farms lose more litres than they need to, and the causes are usually simple.

Water first

A milking cow drinks 80 to 100 litres a day in peak summer. If the trough runs dry at midday, you have already lost the evening milking. Clean, shaded, constantly available water is the cheapest yield you will ever buy.

Feed when it is cool

Shift the bulk of concentrate feeding to early morning and late evening. Animals eat poorly in the afternoon heat, and feed left in the trough spoils fast.

Minerals matter more, not less

Heat stress and heavy sweating deplete minerals quickly. Fifty grams a day of a good chelated mineral mixture supports both fertility and yield through the season.

Shade and airflow

A shed that traps still hot air is worse than an open tree line. Fans or even wet gunny curtains at the shed opening pay for themselves in retained litres.