The air temperature here at the farm, as read off a reliable thermometer set five feet off the ground, and in the shade gave a reading of 101 degrees at noon. I didn't have time to look at it later, as we had our work cut out for us in keeping the livestock as comfortable as possible! The dew point is down today, but still very high. This dew point, combined with the high heat is what makes things so dangerous for livestock. I saw for myself today temperatures that were 104 degrees, and in one place, it was 107 degrees.
Today, we were ready. The ewes and lambs stayed in the barn with the huge fan until the worst of the heat hit, then we moved them outside to a special temporary set up under the apple trees. This, of course, really perked them up and despite the heat, they delighted in their annual pruning job. The breeze had kicked up a bit, which really helped. Topping off their stock tank frequently, along with that breeze, and apples for diversion, kept them perky the rest of the day!
I know that in certain parts of our country, this hot air is normal, everyday stuff. The bad news is that nearly our whole country is affected by this heat (as many of you readers are experiencing yourselves!) I hope everyone is doing ok, and if you have livestock, that things are going good for you!
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