Abstract:
Climate change will continue to accentuate the negative
impact of heat stress (HS) on ruminant livestock production, compromising animal welfare and meat quality.
• Mitigation strategies, including providing shade on
farms, modifications of animal housing (heat extractors, fans, water sprinklers, and cool drinking water),
and nutritional interventions, are important short-term
measures to reduce the negative effects of HS.
• Climate-smart breeding for thermotolerance and
matching of adapted ruminant breeds to appropriate
production systems should be considered for more
sustainable livestock production systems.
