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| ***New Cool Sense™ Motion Cooling*** Cool Sense™ is a fully-automated cooling system for use in any cow traffic lane. Cool Sense™ is temperature and motion activated to provide a cool shower to cows as they pass through. Cool Sense™ is the final piece of the cooling puzzle, and allows you to keep your cows cool and comfortable at all times in your dairy facility. It is ideal for use in exit lanes, breezeway alleys, robotic barns or outside a doorway to an exercise lot or outside feed bunk. A cow will activate the system if the air temperature is above your specified set point. Available in single or bi-direction kits. Call us for more information on this new product!! Single direction kit only $1895 Edstrom Cattle Cooler Automated Control of Shower Cooling  The C-440S Controller is used to regulate the showering and interval cycles in a livestock cooling system. It has output to control up to four 24VAC electric valves. The valves are activated in sequence to reduce water capacity demands on your system.
This easy-to-program controller can be set to operate either in Two-Stage Mode or Smart Mode. Two-Stage Mode provides traditional two-level cooling - a lower intensity cooling cycle operates when the temperature is above the low threshold. A higher intensity cooling cycle operates when the temperature is above the high threshold.
Programming of the C-440S Controller is easy to do!
Time and temperature settings in both LO Range and HI Range are easily viewed and adjustable. The shower and interval times can be set anywhere within the range of 0 to 99 minutes. The actuation temperature can be set within 40° F to 99° F in either the LO or HI Range settings. You can also select the number of electric solenoid valves to be operated, as well as the number of temperature sensors that will be monitored. The Controller can be easily toggled to operate in either standard two-stage mode or in Smart Mode. Once the settings are entered, they are saved automatically, and will not be lost if the electrical power is interrupted.
Smart Mode provides innovative, infinite-stage cooling. Interval time is automatically adjusted as the temperature changes. The interval time is the period of time when no showering occurs and the water is allowed to evaporate from the animals. As temperature increases, the interval time will decrease, thus giving animals more frequent shower cycles, to reduce heat stress. This provides exactly the right amount of cooling at any temperature while minimizing water usage.
The C-440S can monitor up to four separate temperature probes to allow accurate cooling in different zones. One temperature probe is pre-wired into the Controller at the factory. If additional probes are desired, they will need to be wired into the Controller on site.
There should be a continuous flow of air over the backs of the cattle any time the cooling system is in operation. This causes the water to be evaporated, which takes the heat away from the cattle in the process. Fans would be controlled separately from the cooling system, and could be set to operate continuously above a temperature of 70oF.
Programming of the C-440s Controller is easy to do. Time and temperature settings in both LO-Range and HI-Range are easily viewed and adjusted as desired. The shower times and interval times can be set anywhere within the range of 0 - 99 minutes, while the actuation temperature can be set anywhere between 40o - 99oF in either the LO or HI-Range settings. You can also select the number of electric solenoid valves that are to be operated. Once the settings are entered, they are saved automatically, and will not be lost if the electrical power is interrupted. It does not have to be 110oF for heat stress to occur in dairy cows
 Studies have found that at temperatures as low as 79oF, dairy cows will begin to cut feed intake and lose body weight. Milk production falls. Reproductive performance, health, and lactational performance are affected. Heat stress will continue to affect performance even in the cooler months ahead. High yielding cows are most susceptible to heat stress. All of this quickly impacts your pocket book!
The degree of heat stress suffered by the cow will depend on the combination of environmental conditions: air temperature, relative humidity, air movement, and radiation from the sun. Dairymen use shades, fans, and ample fresh drinking water to help herds beat the heat; but often shade and ventilation are just not enough. In southern states, where heat and humidity are more severe, dairymen have also used sprinklers to provide added cooling effects.
Research has shown that intermittent showering in combination with shade and forced air movement is a very effective method of cooling diary cows, thereby reducing the production losses experienced during hot humid weather conditions. By using a high capacity, coarse droplet shower nozzle, enough water can be applied to fully wet the cows to the hide. The water is then allowed to evaporate, which pulls heat from the animal, just like sweating. Increased air movement across the wet hide provided by fans, makes this system most efficient. Disadvantages of Misting and Fogging
Mist and fogging nozzles have been used to cool dairy cows, and have proven advantageous in dry climates. They work by cooling the air around the cows. The disadvantage is that the mist can be easily blown away under windy conditions, or when used with fans. If a mist or fog builds up on the cow’s hair coat, it can trap a layer of air between the skin and the water, which holds in body heat. Respiratory problems can also arise if proper ventilation is not provided. In addition, mist and fogging nozzles usually must be operated at high pressures and require regular maintenance, especially when poor water quality conditions exist.
By using a high capacity, coarse droplet soaker nozzle, enough water can be applied to fully wet cows to the hide. The water is then allowed to evaporate, which pulls heat from the animal, just like  sweating. Increased air movement across the wet hide, provided by fans, makes this system most efficient. Proper control is critical to ensure that the cows gets soaked to the hide along the topline, while not getting wet to the point of having water running off her sides.
In comparison, soaker nozzles produce a coarse droplet spray, which penetrates the hair and wets the cow’s hide. To avoid formation of a mist, the soaker nozzles operate at reduced pressure of 10 to 20 psi.
Typical Installation of a
Shower Cooling System Normal recommendations are to shower the animals for a short period of time, 0.5 to 3.0 minutes, to soak the hide. After the shower shuts off, the water is evaporated from the cattle by fans blowing across their backs for 5.0 to 15.0 minutes, before repeating the shower cycle. Common locations for installing a shower cooling system are in the holding pen area, where cows are crowded together tightly, and in the feed line area. There are a few considerations when designing a system layout:
 Location of the
Soaker Nozzles:
The soaker nozzles should not be installed where they will spray into the feed line or a stall area. They need to be located high enough to be protected from animals or equipment, but below the bottom of ventilation fans. In the holding pen area, full-circle (360°) nozzles are recommended, and should be located to obtain 100% coverage of the area to be sprayed. At the feed line, ½-circle (135° to 180°) nozzles can be mounted along the top of the lock-ups or neck rail, and directed to spray out over the backs of the cows. The best control of the water along a feed bunk can be achieved by mounting the nozzles at a height just about the cows’ backs. Space the nozzles every 6 to 8 feet along the feed line. (Note: The distribution line may need to be protected by angle iron or another means if it is mounted in this lower position.)
Typical valve setup
Fan Usage (optional)
There should be a continuous flow of air over the backs of the cattle any time the cooling system is in operation. This causes the water to evaporate, taking the heat away from the cattle in the process. (Fans should be controlled separately from the cooling system, and could be set to operate continuously above a temperature of 70°F.) An air velocity of 400 to 600 feet per minute over the cows’ backs is recommended. A 36-inch fan providing 11,000 cfm will move air effectively for 20 to 30 feet, and a 48-inch fan will move air up to 40 feet. Fans should be placed as low as possible, while still allowing clearance for cows and equipment. The fans should be angled downward approximately 30° (aim toward the floor beneath the next fan in line). (Note: Soaker nozzles should be mounted below the fans so water is directed down onto the cows.)
The Edstrom Controllers can be ordered with either a 24VAC/110VAC transformer, or a 24VAC/220VAC transformer. This allows you to choose the system that will best fit your operation.
PVC pipe in angle iron over a feed bunk
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