Results and Discussion
Weather conditions during the summer of 2000 were not atypical. The weather conditions seemed cooler than normal to many area residents due to moderate midsummer conditions, the absence of notable heat waves, and recent memories of back-to-back sweltering summers in 1998 and 1999. Columbus, Ohio, experienced about 10% more cooling degree days than normal compared to nearly 50% more than normal during the previous two summers.
Some of the freestall facilities were instrumented and involved in the study earlier than others. All six facilities were monitored for a significant portion of July and August 2000. Comparisons were primarily made between regional pairs of tunnel-ventilated and naturally ventilated barns, and only data that were simultaneously available from both barns during the interval in question were used unless noted otherwise. Direct comparisons between barns in differing regions were not made (and are not recommended) because of known differences in weather conditions and data availability during the study period.