Strategies to Reduce Heat Stress in Domestic Animals: Environmental, Nutritional, Genetic and Technological Approaches

Dear Colleagues, 

Livestock production is both a significant contributor to and a target of global warming, creating a complex feedback loop. Domestic animals generate substantial methane emissions, while agricultural expansion for feed and grazing drives deforestation, releasing carbon dioxide. Conversely, rising temperatures cause heat stress, reducing fertility and increasing mortality in livestock, while also disrupting feed quality. Addressing this requires sustainable, adaptive, and efficient farming methods to meet global food demand without worsening climate change.

Reducing heat stress in domestic animals requires a multi-dimensional approach focused on environmental management, nutritional adjustments, and even genetic aspects. Providing ample, accessible shade—whether through trees, structures, or roofing—is essential, especially for livestock that are outdoors, as it prevents direct sunlight from raising their body temperature. Ensuring plenty of access to clean, cool water is crucial, as water consumption may double during hot days. In addition to water, using sprinklers, misters, or fans for livestock significantly lowers body temperature through evaporative cooling. Management practices should be adjusted by moving, transporting, or working animals only during the coolest parts of the day, such as early morning or late evening, to minimize physical stress. Furthermore, reducing fiber in the diet and feeding during cooler hours helps reduce the internal heat generated by digestion.

Plant-based feed additives identified as phytogenics have been described as emerging evidence to stabilize rumen function, support gut barrier integrity, and decrease inflammation during stress events such as acidosis and heat stress; in this sense, dairy and beef producers are under increasing pressure to maintain performance while reducing reliance on medications. These compounds can thus shift fermentation pathways, reduce ammonia production, and improve efficiency without compromising animal health.

Developing genomic predictions of heat tolerance in domestic animals, considering productive and reproductive parameters as well as bioclimatic indices, is essential to guarantee accurate information that allows for identifying animals with adequate performance under heat stress conditions. Finally, new technologies for measuring heat stress in domestic animals include non-invasive, continuous, and automated monitoring to replace labor-intensive traditional methods. Vital innovations include infrared thermography, advanced wearable sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI) to process complex data for real-time decision-making.

Dr. Leonel Avendaño-Reyes
Guest Editor

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