The Effect of Housing and Environment on Cow Comfort in Small Household Farms in Chiang Mai

Abstract

Beef and dairy cattle small household farmers in Chiang Mai are facing severe weather, especially in the summer, resulting in reduced productivity and higher costs. Cattle housing and its environment are important factors that affect indoor temperature. This paper aims to provide the general physical characteristics of beef and dairy cattle housing and the environment surrounding the houses in the small farms in Chiang Mai. They were used to consider the existing housing problems and the relationship between housing characteristics and cattle comfort. It was found that most cattle housing is too short with a height of about 2.7 meters, using roofing materials that cause heat transfer under the roof and radiating heat into the cattle housing. In addition, the survey also found that cattle housing is not conducive to the wind, and there are other buildings near cattle housing that block the wind direction that cause the indoor temperature was higher than the outside temperature. The high temperature leads to increase heat stress of cattle during the summer to moderate to high levels. Therefore, the important strategy that should be considered to improve the indoor air quality is the cattle housing styles i.e. increasing height and using roof materials with low thermal conductivity. Shading around the house and building orientation are also important for reducing the temperature inside the housing.