Research continues to show that proactive heat management can significantly reduce production losses during the hottest months of the year.
For chickens, heat waves such as this one have killed thousands of broiler chickens and reduced the productivity of all livestock and poultry. All livestock and poultry suffer.
The first advice is to keep air moving.
Increasing air speed across animals, ensuring fans are operating efficiently, and using evaporative cooling systems where appropriate can dramatically reduce the effects of elevated temperatures.
Researchers emphasize that preventing heat buildup is far more effective than trying to cool animals after heat stress has already developed.
As temperatures rise, water consumption increases substantially. The advice is to regularly inspect drinkers, verify flow rates, and ensure unrestricted access throughout the barn.
They suggest offering more feed during cooler periods of the day since animals such as pigs will eat less when it’s hot.
Humidity, air movement, stocking density, and barn ventilation all influence how much heat animals actually experience. Monitoring conditions inside the barn provides a much more accurate picture of heat stress risk than relying solely on weather forecasts.
