Cattle heat load forecasting service for 2004/2005 summer
| Project start date: | 01 January 2003 |
| Project end date: | 01 May 2005 |
| Publication date: | 01 May 2005 |
| Project status: | Completed |
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Summary
One of the issues that needs to be addressed in managing feedlots is the possibility of cattle deaths due to heat stress brought on by adverse weather conditions. One tool of managing heat stress is to forecast stress inducing conditions for a prescribed future period. In the summer of 2001-02, Katestone Environmental developed a forecasting system for MLA to predict a cattle heat stress index out to 6 days ahead for four sites in Queensland and New South Wales.
Meteorological data were obtained on a daily basis from the on-site meteorological stations and the nearest Bureau of Meteorology automatic weather station (AWS). From these data, an indicator of heat stress. The Temperature Humidity Index (THI, an indicator of heat stress) was calculated from these data and made available to feedlot operators. The forecasting study was expanded over the summer of 2002-03 to incorporate a Heat Load Index (HLI) developed specifically for feedlot cattle and to extend the coverage to 14 sites across eastern Australia. The service was expanded for the 2003-04 summer period with the addition of Katanning (Western Australia) and again in 2004-05 to include Charleton in Victoria and also to incorporate a revised HLI algorithm and the Accumulated Heat Load Unit (AHLU). The present study includes the following 16 sites:
Queensland, Amberley, Emerald, Miles, Oakey, Roma, Warwick , New South Wales , Albury, Armidale, Griffith, Hay, Moree, Tamworth, Yanco , South Australia , Clare , Western Australia , Katanning , Victoria and Charleton.
Other MLA Cattle Heat Load Toolbox projects
- B.FLT.4011 – summer 2019-2020 and 2020-2021
- B.FLT.4004 – summer 2018-2019
- B.FLT.4001 – summer 2017-2018
- B.FLT.0151 – summer 2011-2012
- B.FLT.0365 – summer 2010-2011
- B.FLT.0357 – summer 2009-2010
- B.FLT.0352 – summer 2008-2009
- B.FLT.0346 – summer 2007-2008
- B.FLT.0340 – summer 2006-2007
- FLOT.334 – summer 2005-2006
- FLOT.324 – summer 2003-2004
- FLOT.320 – summer 2002-2003
- FLOT.313 – summer 2001-2002
More information
| Project manager: | Des Rinehart |
| Primary researcher: | Katestone Environmental |
