THERMAL STRESS: HOW TO MANAGE HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE BARNYARD
Thermal Stress: How to Manage High Temperatures in the Barnyard
Summer and its high temperatures mean an obstacle in the adequate production of animals for the livestock sector. Due to this climatic condition, many animals can develop heat stress and harm their proper development.
Thermal stress occurs when animals spend a long time in a place with high temperatures, these, complemented by the heat generated by their own metabolism, exceed the animal’s ability to dissipate heat, affecting their development during this time.
How to avoid this sensation in your animals? It should be noted that the susceptibility of animals will vary according to their breed, coat, level of fat and production conditions. In the same way, respiratory or digestive diseases will seriously affect these conditions.
To mitigate the heat and keep the animals healthy, it is recommended to have constant monitoring of the ITH (Index of temperature and humidity). It is essential to have a large shaded area, in which the animals can cool off with the wind and constantly provide them with water. Feed them mostly during the afternoon, so that digestion takes place in less hot hours and add 25% fiber or foods based on amino acids, vitamins or omega 3 to their diet, due to their qualities that combat heat stress.
