How a Japanese farm is keeping cows cool in record heat

Bangkok Post Group

Japan experienced record-breaking heat throughout this summer. Cattle breeder Yuki Tamura says the rising temperatures are harming her business, meaning she has to adopt some unusual tactics to cool off the animals. - REUTERS

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00:00Soaring temperatures in Japan have forced cattle breeder Yuki Tamura to use unusual

00:08methods to keep her cows cool and healthy, like wrapping their necks with ice packs.

00:14In July, the city of Sano in Toshiki Prefecture hit 106 degrees Fahrenheit, marking Japan's

00:21highest temperature of the year. For Tamura, the rising temperatures present a daunting

00:26challenge.

00:28If we don't take steps against the heat, their body temperature will rise. They will break

00:32out in a fever, collapse and die.

00:36To keep her cows cool, Tamura Farm employs a range of methods.

00:42The cow sheds are equipped with fans and nozzles that spray mist to keep the animals' temperatures

00:47down. And they also wrap their cows' necks with ice packs.

00:52Obviously, if you use fans, the electricity costs money. And with misters, there's a high

01:01initial cost. In the neck cooler's case, I think it's great because it cools down the

01:07cow directly and effectively with ice and water, which we have plenty of around here.

01:16The heat also impacts the farm's breeding business. Heat stress contributes to a higher

01:21number of miscarriages in stillborn calves, Tamura says.

01:28The temperature range that calves can tolerate is much smaller than that of their parents.

01:36So we have to keep a close eye on the temperature because they can quickly go from being healthy

01:41in the morning to exhausted by the evening.

01:48Japan experienced record-breaking heat throughout this summer. Tamura is worried about what

01:53next year might bring, especially if temperatures continue to rise.

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