man and woman kneeling in front of cow in dairy barn stall with woman stretching out her hand to feed the cow silage

FFAR Grant Helps Heat-Stressed Dairy Cows Weather Increasing Temperatures

Generating Advanced Animal Systems Solutions
Generating Advanced Animal Systems Solutions

Program Contact

Dr. Tim Kurt
tkurt@foundationfar.org

Dr. Joseph McFadden

Cornell University

Year Awarded  2019

FFAR award amount   $736,392

Total award amount   $1,470,000

Location   Ithaca, NY

Program   Seeding Solutions

Matching Funders   AB VistaAdisseoBalchem CorporationBerg + SchmidtElancoPhibro Animal Health and Vetagro S.p.A.

  • Advanced Animal Systems

The demand for dairy products and milk globally is expected to increase 57% by 2050. However, rising temperatures are compromising the American dairy industry’s ability to meet these demands because a cow’s milk production can decline up to 70% in warm weather. Holsteins, by far the dominant breed in US dairy farming, begin to suffer heat stress at 75 degrees Fahrenheit. These heat-stressed dairy cows cost the American dairy industry an alarming $1.5 billion annually. Heat-stressed dairy cows also have reduced fertility, are more likely to develop infectious and metabolic diseases and may succumb to premature death.

Why this research is important

This research supports sustainable animal systems through innovative technologies, environmentally sound production practices and advancements in animal health and welfare. It also has the potential to develop solutions that can improve the American dairy industry.

Climate change and extreme heat represent key barriers for the sustainable production of milk that meets consumer expectations for quality as well as the rising global demand for dairy foods. We must act now to develop innovative solutions that revolutionize how we feed heat-stressed cows to ensure optimum animal health and welfare while achieving gains in efficient milk production. Dr. Joseph McFadden
Associate Professor of dairy cattle biology in the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Details About this Research 

This research is part of FFAR’s Seeding Solutions annual grant program that funds audacious research supporting each of our Challenge Areas. The pioneering science funded through this program convenes unique partners from across the food and agriculture sector to solve bold challenges.

The Latest

Insights

Our Insights highlight unique perspectives from across the food and agriculture community.

See all Insights

Importance of Bacteria in Identifying Bovine Respiratory Disease

Ruth Eunice Centeno Martinez

FFAR Fellow, Purdue University

Let’s Raise a Glass on National Milk Day to the Power of Agriculture Research

Krysta Harden headshot

Krysta Harden

President and CEOUS Dairy Export Council

Building Team Chemistry: The Bigger Picture Behind Cows & Climate

Conor McCabe headshot

Conor McCabe

Animal Biology Graduate Student, UC Davis

Insight on Livestock Methane Mitigation

Dr. Rod Mackie, Professor, Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 

Champaign, IL

The “Good Soil Discount” — A Game Changer for U.S. Agriculture

Harley Cross

Harley Cross

Land Core Co-founder & Director of Strategy

FFAR Vet Student Fellow Research Spotlight

Anna Schaubeck

2021 FFAR Veterinary Student Research Fellow

Celebrating Innovation on National Egg Day

Paul Montgomery

Paul Montgomery

Director of Communications, United Egg Producers

How Heat Stress Impacts Swine Health

FFAR Fellow, Lauren Anderson

North Carolina State University

Dairy Cattle Metabolic Capacity: Milking It for all It’s Worth

Linda Beckett

2019-2022 FFAR Fellow

Climate change and Dairy Farming: Beating the Heat

Ananda Fontoura

2018-2021 FFAR Fellow

Research is Critical to Preventing the Next Pandemic

Tim Kurt, DVM

Scientific Program Director, October 2016- September 2022 Advanced Animal Systems

Vitamin A, Healthy Cows and Less Antibiotics

Jaime Strickland

2018-2021 FFAR Fellow

A Look at Maine Aquaculture

Tim Kurt, DVM

Scientific Program Director, October 2016- September 2022 Advanced Animal Systems

News

The latest news and updates from FFAR.

See all News

FFAR Grant Unites Urban Agriculture Operations to Increase Food Security

FFAR-Funded Research to Prevent African Swine Fever Virus

Greener Cattle Initiative Opens Call for Enteric Methane Emission Research

FFAR Accepting Pre-Proposals for 2024 Seeding Solutions

FFAR Grant Provides Data on Nitrogen Management Practices in the Great Plains

FFAR & AAVMC Open Applications for 2024 FFAR Vet Fellows

Japanese Encephalitis Virus Research Protects US Swine

FFAR Grant Reduces Nitrogen Inputs, Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Grant Transforms Wastewater to Crop Fertilizer

FFAR & Open Philanthropy Announce Egg-Tech Prize Finalists

ICASA Grants Seek to Address Liver Abscess Formation in Cattle

ICASA Awards Grants to Address Antimicrobial Resistance in Cattle & Swine

Cattle Industry Consortium Funds Research Aimed at Reducing Enteric Methane Emissions

SHIC Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program Funds Additional Research

Improving Layer Hen Welfare with Better Bone Health

Cattle Industry Consortium Awards First Grant to Curb Enteric Methane Emissions

New Falling Number Test Prevents Wheat Contamination, Saves Farmers Millions

Pairing Regenerative Farming and Solar Energy Production to Improve Urban Resilience

FFAR Awards Fifth Cohort of Vet Fellows

Building a Common Language for Antimicrobial Resistance Between Human & Animal Health

Events

Join FFAR at our next event.

See all Events

Health, Efficiency and Resource Dynamics (HERD) Research Prioritization Workshop

Convening Event Chicago, IL

5 black and white cows with yellow ear tags standing in a row in a green field looking at the viewer.”

Breakthroughs

Tools, technologies and strategies from the research we fund.

See all Breakthroughs

Unlocking Genetic Heat Tolerance in Cattle

Breakthrough for Precision Bred Adaptation of Elite Taurine Breeds of Beef & Dairy Cattle

Increased Fiber, Same Great Taste

Breakthrough for Increasing Dietary Fiber in Wheat Crop

Connecting Growers & Markets

Breakthrough for FFAR Grant Develops Tools to Predict Consumer Demand, Reduce Food Waste

Accelerating Crop Development with Improved Haploid Fertility

Breakthrough for Accelerated Development of Crops of the Future

Radiography could transform poultry breeding

Breakthrough for FFAR Awards $1.4 Million to Purdue University, University of California, Davis and University of Edinburgh Researchers to Improve Health and Productivity of Egg-Laying Hens

Research Pinpoints Why Dairy Cows Produce Less Milk in Warm Weather and Develops Nutrition-Based Solution

Breakthrough for FFAR Grant Helps Heat-Stressed Dairy Cows Weather Increasing Temperatures

Feed Additives Stop Viral Disease Spread, Researchers Find

Breakthrough for FFAR-Funded Research Finds Feed Additives Stop the Spread of Viral Diseases

Initial Successes in Ending Surgical Castration of Swine

Breakthrough for FFAR Awards $500,000 Grant to Improve Swine Health and Well-Being

Want to do more to support our Advanced Animal Systems research?