Nicole Ekblom is a large animal veterinarian in California who specializes in dairy cattle, so she knows a lot about cow comfort.  In a recent interview for RealCaliforniaMilk.com she explained one of the important ways that California dairy producers take care of their cows in the hot summer months.

"Temperatures can get very toasty in certain parts of California in July, August and September," said Nicole.  "Cool cows show that they are contented by eating more, moving around and, of course, by producing more milk.  It's in a dairy producer's best interest to keep his cows at ease.  If they are too hot they won't eat properly and milk output will be negatively affected."

Nicole described that most dairymen (and women!) have installed soaker pipelines in their barns that spray water directly on the cows in twenty- to thirty-minute intervals whenever the thermostat reaches 80 to 85°F.  This cool water helps lower the bovines' body temperature. Some barns even feature huge fans that kick-on in the same way throughout the day and night. The combination of cool water followed by circulating air is highly effective at keeping the cows comfortable.

"It's like a cow spa, in a way," Nicole commented.  "That's how I like to think about it.  I love these animals and really enjoy seeing them happy."