Heat stress in female farm animals : a review

Abstract EN

Heat stress affects negatively reproductive performance of female farm animals.

The physiological backgrounds of such phenomenon include drawbacks in thermal balance, endocrine status, conception, uterine function, uterine blood flow, early embryonic development, fetal growth and milk production.

Improvement of management of females under hot climate conditions increases their reproductive efficiency.

Providing with suitable housing, feeding, disease and parasite control and heat stress alleviation practices, together with amelioration of the environment, can help heat stressed animals to express their genetic potential in tropical and sub-tropical areas.

This is in addition to carrying out properly routine managerial practices at suitable times.

Alleviation of heat stressed animals can be applied by physical, physiological and nutritional techniques.