IMPORTANT FACTORS FOR SUMMER STRESS MANAGEMENT IN LIVESTOCK

SUMMER STRESS MANAGEMENT IN LIVESTOCK

Dr Md Moin Ansari

Associate Professor/Senior Scientist

Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry

SKUAST K, Shalimar-190025. Jammu & Kashmir

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https://www.pashudhanpraharee.com/important-tips-for-summer-stress-management-in-livestock/

Heat stress during summer indicates all high temperature related stress, which induces thermoregulatory changes in livestock occur from March to June. During the extreme hot humid or hot dry weather, this thermoregulatory changes in the cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, dog and horses to dissipate heat by sweating and panting is compromised and heat stress occurs. When the environmental temperature goes beyond Upper critical temperature (24°-26°C for Exotic and crossbred cattle and 33°C for Zebu cattle and 36°C for buffaloes), body is unable to maintain the core body temperature through sweating and panting (evaporative heat loss mechanism). The Indian desi breed is thermo-tolerant and adopt to the change in the climatic capabilities, but the cross breeds, exotic breed are more prone for the summer stress. While the buffaloes are also more susceptible to the heat due to the skin coat absorbs more solar radiation and fewer sweat glands owing of the fact the heat dissipation not occur properly and causes for summer stress.  The horses having more sweating pore and dogs does the panting so summer stress is less in dogs and horses. This when coupled with rising body heat production rate led to hyperthermia in the livestock. All the changes associated with summer stress led to loss of productivity, reduced breeding efficiency and even loss of life in extreme cases. Every year during summer especially in rural areas due to scarcity of food and water, severe loss in milk production as well as productivity and sometime death incurred due to heat stress causing huge financial loss in India.  Though indigenous breeds of cattle are more thermo-tolerant, crossbred and exotic breeds of cattle are highly sensitive to heat stress.  Buffaloes are more prone to this owing to their black skin that absorbs more solar radiations and fewer sweat glands (only 1/6th that of cattle), compromising heat dissipation through evaporative heat loss. In India, rural areas always prefer for grazing the livestock in hilly area due to lack of land, fodder and water. In case of summer stress, the following symptoms are seen: skin become dull, eyeblall sunken, unusual salivation, rapid and weak pulse, rapid but shallow breathing, abnormal vital parameters: elevated heart rate, respiration rate, rectal temperature etc, dizziness/ unconsciousness, in some cases animals may fallen down suddenly due to dehydration. In case of heat stroke, body temperature is very high– sometimes as high as 106 – 108°F.

Management of Summer stress:

The following factors are important in managing Summer stress

1. Provision of clean fresh ample drinking water to the animals all the time of the day.
2. It should be ensuring that the animals are kept under shades. The most effective source of shade is trees. If shade trees are not available, thatched roof of a minimum height of 9 feet should be provided.
3. Animal should be fed on cool hours.
4. In extreme hot conditions paddy straw or any other dry fodder should be kept on roof.
5. Thatching the roof with materials like paddy straw etc, painting the roof with white paint or, providing a false ceiling insulation will help provide a cooler environment. Fans and fuggers should be available available in the afternoon.
6. Ensure one ventilator of 3 x 1 feet per cow in covered shed. In these sheds heavy duty fan is best option to facilitate ventilation.
7. Create barriers against hot wind or peak sunny hours using thatched wall or wet gunny cloth/ gunny bags.
8. Avoid overcrowding of the animals in the shed.
9. Heat stress can also be managed by spraying/ sprinkling water directly on the body of animals for a period of 1 to 5 minutes at an interval of 10- 30 minutes. The most effective way of combating heat stress in buffalo is wallowing in the water pond.
10. Feeding should be practiced during early morning, evening and night.
11. Grazing of livestock should be done preferably in morning time (5.30 to 11 am) and in evening from 5 to 8 pm so that the direct exposure to sunlight should be avoided in peak heat stress hours.
12. Ensure increased mineral supplementation during hot weather to meet the increased demand of minerals. Potassium rich mineral mixture should be preferred.
13. In green fodder shortage fodder tress like subabhul, mulberry tree, drumsticks trees etc. leaves can be used as green fodder to the animal green fodder requirement.
14. Control and prevention of external parasitic infestation must be ensured.
15. Livestock should be dewormed and vaccinated against the diseases which have seasonal trend in summer season.
16. In emergency immediate veterinary first aid should be provided to the suffering livestock.
17. https://www.dairyknowledge.in/article/managing-dairy-animals-during-summer

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