Water, water everywhere, is there enough left for the cows to drink?

Water is a precious resource on farms today. Are you looking for an evaporative cooling solution that doesn't use massive amounts of water but offers the same if not better cooling?

We know how frustrating it is to be worried about running short on water in the summer heat. The sole focus of Core Cool Systems is to create a complete system that works year-round to add to cow comfort, maintain core body temperature and give cows the consistency they need to maximize performance.

I was so excited recently when I read an article in the Dakota Farmer. In it, David Carlson, a dairy nutritionist and technical specialist, said, "We have four components of cow cooling in a facility: the shade, the air velocity, water [for] both drinking and applied for evaporative cooling, and time, which refers to the duration of these cooling episodes. For the air velocity, we ideally want to maintain a 4- to 6-mile-per-hour constant breeze over the cows as they lie down."  Link to the full article - Combat heat stress in dairy herd.

YES! Exactly. I can't agree with Mr. Carlson more. I like adding humidity because it considerably impacts the THI, temperature stress, and how evaporative cooling works, and it needs to be part of the formula. Since early research results, finding the balance of those five elements has been the driving force behind Core Cool Systems.

In 2009 at the University of Georgia, Dr. John Bernard and his team compared two systems. The conceptual cow cooling system, low-pressure, low-volume quad tip nozzles in front of existing basket fans mounted over the beds, and the system they were already using in the research barn was a large droplet, bunk soaker system.

 A snapshot of the research results are:

• There were no differences in body temperature (average 102.39°F),
• Respiration rate (57.6 breaths/min), 
• Milk yield (77.8 lb/d) of the cows.
• Water use was much lower (5,624 L/d) for the early Core Cool System compared with the control system (9,008 L/d).
• The dry matter content of the sand was similar for both systems (93.7 and 94.5 for control and Core Cool systems, respectively).

It is important to note that during the research trial, the temperature ranged from 68 to 86°F and relative humidity ranged from 55 to 98%

Here is a link to the full research results. Research Results

The holy grail of cow cooling is to be able to achieve evaporative cooling in the beds without wetting the bedding and causing an increasing Somatic Cell Count and mastitis. Many years of research and development have gone into finding the balance between the amount of water to be applied, droplet size, airspeed, airflow patterns, the impact of temperature and humidity, and so much more. 

The sole focus has been on finding the formula, cracking the code and finding the right elements and the correct amounts to cool cows in their beds while not wetting the bedding. 

Today's system is the result; evaporative cooling over the beds without soaking the bedding or causing a rise in SCC or mastitis. 

There's nothing like on-farm results to prove that it works and the value of investing in it. Here's what a customer from Wisconsin has to say about his experience with Core Cool Systems on his farm.

Evaporative cooling becomes necessary when the temperature and humidity rise and airspeed alone cannot offer enough relief to prevent heat stress. Core Cool is a complete system that continuously monitors both the temperature and humidity in the barn and adjusts itself automatically to match those conditions and meet the cow’s needs. 

To learn more about Core Cool Systems, contact nancy@corecoolsystems.com or visit corecoolsystems.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram. 

P.S. There are many fans and ventilation systems on the market, and most will work well 300 days a year. But it's those 65 or so days when they can let you down. Either because of

• Low air speed in the stalls or at the bunk,
• Maintenance issues (loose belts, squealing bearings),
• Power usage or draw,
• Damage caused by birds or other animals (missing blades, knocking motors off balance)
• Don't offer evaporative cooling (to prevent summer heat stress). 

Core Cool Systems has you covered.

• Variable speed set to temperature and humidity for precise cooling during the fall, winter and spring.
• High airspeed. Focused, Spiraling Air Flow cooling the cows where you want them cooled.
• Bird Guards to protect your investment
• Direct Drive, Magnetic drive, Low power usage and soft draw start up
• Energy efficient EC motor
• Evaporative Cooling with a focus on maintaining core body temperature