The techniques used in tropical and subtropical regions to reduce the negative effects of heat stress on farm animals

Abstract

Good management should aim to well-being, comfort, and maintaining the highly productive and reproductive efficiency of the animals. Under hot climate conditions, the major objective is to facilitate overcoming heat stress, although such criteria are sometimes difficult because of its occasional high costs, altogether with that most countries in which it occurs have severe financial constraints. Providing suitable housing, feeding, disease, and parasite control and heat stress alleviation practices, together with amelioration of the environment, can help heat-stressed animals to express their genetic potentials in tropical and sub-tropical areas. Although we cannot change the weather, we can modify the animal’s environment to minimize heat stress and we can change feeding practices. Some of the management carry out to ameliorate the atmosphere and decrease the animal's heat production and some techniques that can be used to support the animal in dissipating the heat load and to correct the negative effects caused by heat stress. Such techniques are categorized into physical, physiological, and nutritional techniques.