ISSUE FOCUS 28 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE June 2023 “As global temperatures rise year upon year, threatening economic losses and placing increased environmental pressure on livestock farming, it is essential that diets are formulated to support animals in achieving proper performance, especially under challenged conditions. Data from commercial trials and studies at research centres around the globe show that trace minerals improve the resilience of animals.” While a wide range of stressors can threaten animals’ health, reproduction and welfare, environmentally induced heat stress is a major concern for today’s livestock producers. The detrimental effects that high temperatures can inflict on various species - especially highly productive animals – coupled with an increase in global temperatures is bringing increased scrutiny to heat stress. Considering that the seven hottest years on record have occurred since 2015 and the rate of warming has doubled since 1981 to 0.18 degrees Celsius per decade, warmer conditions seem to be the norm rather than episodic events. In this article, we’ll consider how thermal conditions affect livestock as well as producers’ bottom lines. We’ll then turn our attention to practical approaches farmers can take to mitigate the effects of heat stress on their flocks and herds. HEAT STRESS – CONSIDERING CONSEQUENCES AND COSTS Animals have a thermoneutral zone, in which normal body temperature is maintained and energy expenditure is kept to a minimum. Factors such as temperature, ambient humidity and wind can influence an animal’s capability of staying within this range. When the total heat load on an animal exceeds its capacity for heat dissipation heat stress can be an unwelcome result. A reduction of feed intake is one consequence of heat stress. In pigs for example, every degree of increase in environmental temperature above 23 C° potentially reduces feed intake by 89 to 106 grams in the grow-finishing phase, dependent on the level of humidity. Beyond reducing the level of nutrients available for the animal to use, reduced feed intake can also harm gut integrity. Less feed intake can lead to leaky gut, which increases circulating bacterial components and can lead to systemic inflammation, inducing a further loss in performance. From a sustainability perspective, leaky gut can potentially increase the environmental impact of production. Thus, from an animal welfare and environmental point of view, heat stress can cause animals to suffer physically and result in a more of the energy consumed being wasted. NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES THAT CAN STAND THE HEAT Gavin Boerboom Global Technical Commercial Manager Trace Minerals Selko Feed Additives
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