Effect of Heat Stress on Poultry Production and their Managemental Approaches

Air temperature and relative humidity are two primary environmental factors in terms of THI that determining the heat stress level in livestock. Heat stress has detrimental effects on egg production, egg quality of laying hen and reduced growth rate in broiler production. Exposure of environmental stress during the growing period of broilers has been coupled with undesirable meat quality. Heat stress has adverse effects on behaviour, welfare and immunity of poultry and decreases the egg production resulting in massive economic losses of farmer. The management approaches to minimise the adverse effect of heat stress in poultry production viz., provision of ventilation, density of bird, nutritional manipulation, supplementation of minerals and electrolyte. Controlling the environmental variation is a critical to successful poultry production and welfare.