A ‘tough summer’ and premature monsoon: How campus farm animals endure climate change
Every day, Tucsonans observe the effects of the harsh Arizona heat on the human body. In the past decade, severe dehydration, heat stroke, and preterm births are just a few of the impacts now amplified by rapid climate change.
But how do extreme temperatures affect the voiceless and extraordinarily large? Think livestock.
In an enclosed pasture for student learning, irrigated with reclaimed water, heifers and dams lounge in record-breaking heatwaves and abrupt monsoon storms at the University of Arizona campus farm.
According to Poland’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education research, heat load causes significant changes in cattle's physiological processes and production behaviors. Also known as thermal load, heat stress tends to trigger aggressive behavior, loss of pregnancy and disrupt ovary development.
Amber Hubbell, farm manager from the UA School of Animal & Comparative Biomedical Sciences (ACBS), said the campus cows are resilient and depend on airflow rather than shade to keep cool.
However, it is still necessary for the farm to mitigate heat stress in cases of illness or accidental calving.
“If we have sick animals, we have pens with fans and misters for extra support,” Hubbell said. “We try not to calve in the summer because the babies cannot regulate their temperature well. But in case of accidents, we provide shade and ensure they have plenty of water.”
Ruminants like cattle and deer are adaptable thermoregulators, even in the scorching sun. The same cannot be said about non-ruminants like horses, which struggle to adapt to accelerated climate change.
“It has been a really tough summer,” said Skyler Bentley, animal care manager for the UA College of Veterinary Medicine.
“Our herd are retired animals … they tend to take the heat a little harder. There is a lot of sluggish activity, they are lethargic, and their grazing activity decreases,” Bently said.
At the UA Campus farm, geldings and mares laze around under the intense desert sun; cooling off with ample water and if necessary, in shaded pens.
With a lack of activity comes decreased water intake, which can cause lethal gastrointestinal issues during high temperatures.
“If they’re sweating more than they’re putting back in their bodies, colic occurs. For our guys, when they stop drinking water and they’re too overheated it slows down their motility … it creates a lot of pain for them”, Bentley remarked on heat stress. “They roll around on the ground to feel better and can twist their intestines — which is fatal.”
“Similar to the campus cattle, behaviors in the herd change — they’re a lot less tolerant of each other..they want to be left alone,” she said.
As a result of early monsoon showers and a growing humidity index, both caused and amplified by climate change, the campus farm animals experience cold stress despite intense warmth.
Rain spells contribute to wet coats, in both horses and cattle; and can cause shivering, abdominal pain, and lowered motor activity — similar to heat stress.
To alleviate weather-related stress on the animals, Hubbell and Bentley have resorted to expanding shade access, automatic water systems and even providing blankets for the large farm creatures amid premature monsoon storms.
“Does climate change happen? Yes”, Hubbell comments, “It has been happening for billions of years and we’re going to continue to adapt to it”.
Cows passing gas isn’t the root cause of these hasty environmental changes, Hubbell said, adding that cows releasing methane microbes are an essential part of survival in Arizona’s excessive heat.
