Strategies to Reduce the Heat Stress in Buffaloes
Lakshmi Kant1 and Abhinav Meena2
1Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Veterinary Pharmacology & Toxicology, CVAS, Bikaner 2M.V. Sc, Department of Veterinary Parasitology, CVAS, RAJUVAS, Bikaner Corresponding author: sattavan.abhinav@gmail.com
As we all know among diverse natural condition, In Rajasthan, the period from April to June have extreme temperature reaching up to 48°C that ubiquitously compromises the productive and reproductive performance of livestock species. In such climatic extremes, the owner of buffalos has to keep a few specific attentions in their mind to make their herd comfortable.
What is heat stress?
Heat stress is the very high rise in body temperature from the normal one, which actuates thermoregulatory changes in buffalo. During the extreme hot weather condition, this thermoregulatory capability of buffalo to dissipate heat by sweating and panting is compromised and the condition occurs. Severe heat stress can further lead to rise in body temperature, increased pulse rate, increased peripheral blood flow, reduced feed intake and increased water intake.
Economic importance
All the changes associated with heat stress led to loss of productivity, reduced breeding efficiency and even loss of life in extreme cases. Every year in India severe loss in milk production incurred due to heat stress causing huge financial loss. Heat stress has also detrimental effects on reproduction by decreasing estrus expression, conception rate and by increasing length of service and dry period.
Signs of heat Stress
Common symptoms of heat-stressed animal include
- Animal attempt to move towards
- Increase reddening of
- Water intake enhanced while feed intake
- Prefers standing than lying
- Increased respiration rate and body temperature (106–108°F).
- Unusual
- Open-mouth
Natural defense mechanism towards heat stress
Characteristic black skin that contains numerous melanin granules, which provide protection against UV rays component of sunlight. Buffalo dermis has well-developed sebaceous glands and their oily secretions make skin slippery for water and mud. The oil secretions from skin make it more lustrous during summer to reflect solar radiations more effectively.
Reproductive and Production Challenges:
Heat stress challenges the production and reproduction performance of dairy animals. Milk composition like milk fat%, SNF% are also affected. Heat stress negatively affects follicular development and estrous cycle.
Strategies to reduce the negative effects of heat stress
- Breeding Management
As cows exhibit lesser heat symptoms during heat stress zones as compared to thermal comfort periods, it is necessary to adopt a good heat detection program to detect cows with marginal heat symptoms. It is always advisable to continue AI breeding instead of using bulls because in natural breeding both bull and cows suffers infertility due to summer stress. Genetic selection of heat tolerant animals and inclusion of heat tolerance as a trait in selection programme will be a boon to the farms.
2. Cooling systems in the farm
Fans in combination with water sprinkling facility provide the best cooling option. Excessive sprinkling should never be practiced as it may end result into wet bedding making animal prone to mastitis and other diseases. The farm should be well ventilated.
3. Feeding Management
Heat stressed animals are more likely to have lower reproductive and productive performance. Feeding high quality forages and balanced rations will lower a number of results of heat stress and will boost performance of the animals. Some dietary control guidelines to manage heat pressure are:
- Provide high quality
- Increase the frequency of
- Feed during colder times of the
- Keep feed fresh as much as
- Provide high-quality
- Provide adequate
- Use of by–pass proteins can enhance the milk yield and protein
- Intake of sufficient cool water is probably the most important strategy for animals to undertake throughout heat stress.
4. Providing natural or artificial shade area
Plantation around the farm will help in assuaging heat load from the animals. But, in today’s commercial dairy industry, it is not always practicable. Therefore, provision of artificial shade area by shade cloth or a naturally well-ventilated structure with open sidewalls can keep the animals away from direct solar radiation.
5. Selection of heat tolerant animals
Genetic selection of animals based totally on precise molecular genetic markers for heat tolerance will truly be a boon to alleviate heat stress in cattle and buffaloes by figuring out the heat tolerant animals.
Conclusion
Heat stress is a temporary problem and by means of positive management we can hold animal fitness in addition to its productivity. At the end, it can be concluded that nutrients and management are the two very crucial responsibilities by using which we will reduce the loss resulting from heat stress.
