Heat Stress Reduction Is Not The Only Benefit Of Big Ass Fans

For years, farmers have known that large, overhead fans provide the airflow needed to keep herds cool and comfortable in the summer at a fraction of the operating cost of alternative airflow solutions.

However, the benefits of Big Ass Fans go a step beyond comfort – it’s a matter of health. Uncomfortable heat can turn into unsafe heat in just a few degrees. The foremost reason dairymen install Big Ass Fans in barns and dairy parlors around the world is to reduce heat stress.

For the most part, airflow is viewed as the proven solution to a production problem. Evaporative cooling, created by the barn-wide breeze from a Big Ass Fan, offsets significant milk production loss — ranging from 10 percent to 35 percent — associated with heat stress.

In extreme circumstances, heat stress can cause herd health problems that require costly veterinary fees and treatments, and it’s not the only health danger that can be diminished by proper airflow. Here are some of the less-obvious health benefits of Big Ass Fans:

• Improved bedding: Research indicates cows prefer to lay on cool, dry bedding. A Big Ass Fan provides proper airflow throughout the barn and helps keep bedding drier and cooler. Maintaining desirable bedding will prevent cattle from laying in damp areas that increase mastitis rates.
• Drier footing: Dry footing is good for comfort and the safety of your herd. It also maintains hoof health.
• Reduced airborne illness: Along with mastitis treatments, bovine respiratory diseases are major expenses for dairy farmers. Ventilation is important for reducing the spread of airborne illness and contaminants. Often, natural ventilation alone is inadequate during summer months to provide effective air turnover and mitigate airborne contaminants. The replacement of contaminated air with fresh air at the herd’s level lets cows breathe easier and reduces treatments.
• Pest deterrence: Evidence suggests airflow from a Big Ass Fan seriously limits the mobility of pests such as house flies and biting stable flies, which could help reduce contact- and blood-transmitted diseases.

Proper air movement will make your dairy barn a more pleasant environment for herds and staff alike, and low-maintenance Big Ass Fans will save energy and manpower costs compared to large numbers of smaller, high-speed fans or more drastic and costly HVAC installations.

At the end of the day, Big Ass Fans also can improve animal health. It’s not only the humane thing to do, but good for every dairy farmer’s bottom line.