Twenty two normal lactating cross-bred cows (Holstein Friesian × Red Dane × Sahiwal) were randomly divided into 2 groups of 11 each. Group I was cooled by spray cooling for 3 min after an interval of every 12 min (15 min/hr) from 0900 to 1700 hrs in the months of June, July and August. Group II was kept as control. Rectal temperature and respiration rate were maintained in the cooled group while significantly increased in the control group at 1430 hrs than at 1000 hrs. Body weight increased in both the groups with the onset of rainy season but was maintained in the cooled group one month post-experimentation while there was a loss in body weight in the control during that period. High yielding cooled animals produced 8 per cent more milk than control in the experimental period. There was no effect of cooling milk yield in low yielders, and the decrease was similar to the control. Lower fat percentage was observed in the cooled (4.03±0.06%) compared to control (4.22±0.16%). It can be concluded that spray cooling increased physiological comfort, maintained body weight and arrested-decrease in milk yield in high yielding animals during hot climatic conditions.
