Managing high heat conditions through nutrition

Mitigating heat stress is crucial to achieving efficient, profitable and sustainable animal agriculture operations. Effective farm management can support animal production during extreme heat conditions, as well as strategic nutrition solutions. Understanding the mode of action of specific feed additives can help producers ensure products are designed to work in a manner that supports their goals.

Heat-related stressors affect all agriculturally important livestock species, and this environmental challenge to animal production may become increasingly prevalent with climate change. High ambient temperatures—which can occur at any time of year—limit an animal’s ability to maintain energetic, thermal, hormonal and mineral balance. When temperatures rise above the thermal neutral zone, lactation, reproduction and growth performance are negatively impacted, as the body allocates nutrients away from these functions to address the immediate need of coping with stressors and mitigating the adverse effects.

Strategic nutrition management is increasingly critical to help improve farm animals’ response to high heat conditions. Numerous feeding strategies and feed additives have shown to be effective in helping livestock stay healthy and productive throughout high heat periods. A nutritionist can help producers navigate the many options to best achieve their goals.

PHYSIOLOGICAL & BEHAVIORAL DISTURBANCES FROM HEAT STRESS
To adapt to heat-related stressors, pigs and cattle will first induce heat loss by conduction, meaning blood flow is diverted through extremities and heat dissipates through the skin, and by evaporation, or increasing the respiratory rate to decrease internal temperature. Consequently, this reduction in blood flow to the rumen or digestive tract can impact barrier function of the intestines, causing gut inflammation and limiting nutrient absorption.

In addition, swine and ruminants naturally try to reduce their body’s heat production by decreasing physical activity, seeking shade, limiting feed intake and/or increasing water consumption. It’s also common to observe an increase in the level of feed sorting by dairy cows during the hotter months of the year as they seek out more digestible feed ingredients, such as grains, to meet their energy demand. Notably, periods of high heat and humidity can increase yeast and mold growth in total mixed rations (TMR), and mold and its secondary metabolites (toxins) can further impact animal performance. Therefore, it is important to ensure animals receive the appropriate amount of feed evenly distributed throughout the day to reduce the chances of mold and yeast proliferation. Adding preservatives to TMR also can help control mold and yeast growth during ambient temperatures.

RECOMMENDED MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
The primary strategy to improve animal production during extreme heat conditions is effective farm management. Producers can monitor the weather forecast to proactively implement strategies that mitigate the risk of heat stress. Digital tools also help monitor environmental parameters, like the temperature, humidity, air and water quality, providing accurate data that may support animal health and increase productivity.

Ensuring animals have ample access to fresh water, fans, shade and sprinklers can help, as well as proper ventilation and avoiding feeding during the hottest hours of the day. Decreasing animal density is also recommended, when possible, to improve animal comfort.

NUTRITION SOLUTIONS TO MITIGATE HEAT STRESSORS
Certain feed additives have been shown to support animal performance during periods of high heat. Much attention has focused on the use of live microorganisms and yeast products to help modulate the immune system, helping the animal fortify its defenses against stressors. Another area of research has been with plant extracts such as capsaicin. Found in chili peppers, capsaicin may help mitigate heat stress through vasodilation, improvements in feed eating patterns and water intake. However, not all additives in this class are created or delivered equally. For example, the technology to distribute active ingredients in an inert manner is very important due to potential negative palatability concerns without proper coating on the product. Furthermore, the formulation may need to be adapted based on regional regulations and ingredient availability.

ADM’s FreshUp concept is a tailored nutrition formulation to meet the animal’s daily nutritional needs and help manage heat-related challenges on poultry, swine and ruminants. This unique blend of ingredients is customized for each species and may include plant extracts, Pichia guilliermondii inactivated yeast, organic trace minerals and/or sweeteners that are supplemented in premix, complete feed or TMR. These solutions have modes of action that can be useful in combating the physiological impacts of heat stress.

Internal research trials have shown that FreshUp for ruminants can help dairy cows recover more rapidly from stress events. Supplemented cows have a demonstrated impact on feed intake and milk production. Plus, beef cattle fed FreshUp have improved average daily gain and feed efficiency rates versus control. Findings also indicate that this specialty compound can help animals ease heat dissipation through vasodilation and minimize effects of gut inflammation and the disruption of intestinal integrity.

ADM has also conducted global internal research trials with swine, evaluating effects on both fatteners and sows. Supplemented fatteners have shown a higher feed intake and improved feed efficiency, as well as heavier final live weight. Trials on sows fed FreshUp indicate higher feed intake by lactating sows and increased litter weights at weaning.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS IN WARMER MONTHS
Mitigating heat stress is crucial to achieving efficient, profitable and sustainable animal agriculture operations. However, this may become increasingly costly and difficult to implement, given the projected magnitude of potential heat stress conditions as global temperatures continue to climb.

Ration adjustments should be fed prior to the start of a heat stress period to allow animals to become acclimated to the new feed products and optimize efficacy. Producers must keep in mind that a single nutritional additive cannot completely alleviate the negative consequences of heat stress. Feed additives vary in their impact and extent of effect on animal physiology. The specific environment, animal behaviors and other factors may affect how the animals consume the product, or how the product functions in a particular species.

Nevertheless, feed additives worth including in livestock diets will be backed by research studies that demonstrate effectiveness in multiple locations and across different feeding strategies. Understanding the mode of action of the solutions will help producers ensure products are designed to work in a manner that supports their goals. Additionally, an established means of measuring whether the additive is working as expected will help achieve an optimal return on investment.

About Sarah Cooper
Sarah Cooper is the Global Director within ADM’s CD&D Animal Nutrition for Additives and Ingredients. She graduated as a veterinarian from the University of Sydney Australia in 1999 and worked in veterinary clinical practice until 2006, then moved into the corporate animal health industry. She worked with Pfizer Animal Health and Zoetis in Australia and France and then joined ADM in 2021. She has a master’s degree in Veterinary Public Health Management also from the University of Sydney, and a Global Executive MBA from INSEAD.

About Fabien Guillard
Fabien Guillard is the head of Global Swine Growth and Marketing at ADM Animal Nutrition, with deep knowledge in agriculture, nutrition and farm management. He leads and oversees ADM’s efforts to expand its customer base, revenue, and profit on swine market. He is responsible for developing and executing strategies to drive this growth, including identifying new opportunities, creating product offers and services, and training ADM’s team. Fabien holds a MSc of Animal Sciences from Ecole Supérieure d’Agriculture in Angers and is based in France.

About Guillaume Olivier
Guillaume Olivier is the head of Global Ruminant Marketing for ADM Animal Nutrition. He has been working for the company for 23 years and has a strong experience in formulation for ruminants at the international level. Previously, he managed the ADM technical and services department in Mexico for all species, including formulation, labs services, digital applications and on field expertise. He holds a high degree in agriculture from LaSalle University in France.