A trial was conducted to determine the impact of evaporative cooling pads on core body
temperature (CBT), time spent lying, and number of lying bouts of Holstein cows housed
in cross-ventilated freestall facilities. Despite cool ambient conditions during the trial, cows
without evaporative pads tended to have elevated CBT above 102°F for 2.3 more hours per day
and elevated CBT above 102.5°F for 0.95 more hours per day than cows with evaporative pads.
These trends were evident even though the stocking density of the freestalls was greater in the
facility with evaporative pads than in the facility without pads (123 vs. 113%). Lying times and
lying bouts did not differ between treatments. Results of this study indicate that CBT tended to
be reduced when evaporative pads were used, even under relatively mild ambient conditions.
