Animal performance in the southern United States typically decreases during the summer. For grazing animals this reduction is due to a combination of lower feed intake and lower quality forage.
Providing animals with access to some type of shade will help reduce the decrease in feed intake seen during hot weather. Shade can come from trees, barns, and sources. Areas that provide both shade and a good breeze are especially beneficial to allow cattle to dissipate excess body heat.
The lignin concentration of most forages increases during how weather. Lignin reduces the digestibility of forages leading to a reduction in animal performance.
