{"id":31985,"date":"2020-03-20T08:33:13","date_gmt":"2020-03-20T07:33:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nutrex.eu\/insights\/heat-stress\/"},"modified":"2025-10-20T09:55:51","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T07:55:51","slug":"heat-stress","status":"publish","type":"insights","link":"https:\/\/www.nutrex.eu\/en-eu\/insights\/heat-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"Heat stress in poultry explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Heat stress in poultry explained<\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Due to climate changes worldwide, hot days are getting hotter and occur more frequently with heat waves becoming more common, while fewer cold days are measured. This is not only the case in (sub)tropical regions, but also in regions with a temperate climate. These high temperatures are damaging to livestock as they will experience heat stress. Heat stress is one of the most important environmental stressors challenging poultry production worldwide as it has detrimental consequences on growth and production<\/a>, leading to significant economic losses. For example, in the United States, heat stress in the poultry industry results in estimated total annual economic losses of approximately $128 to $165 million.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\n

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What is heat stress?<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Diagram of thermoneutral zone. LCT: lower critical temperature, UCT: upper critical temperature, MAX: point of maximum heat loss.<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n \n \n
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Birds are homeothermic animals, which means they can maintain a constant body temperature (approximately 41 \u00b0C) within certain boundaries. However, birds are highly sensitive to high environmental temperatures due to their high metabolic activity, their feather coverage and the absence of sweat glands. When birds are subjected to high environmental temperatures, especially in combination with high relative humidity and low air speed, they experience heat stress. Heat stress occurs when difficulties in achieving a balance between body heat production and body heat loss arises.<\/p>\n

Birds are able to maintain a constant body temperature in their thermoneutral zone (A), <\/em>which is the range between the lower and upper critical temperature (LCT and UCT). When the environmental temperature exceeds the UCT, birds will have to actively lose heat by panting, first slowly (B) and thereafter faster (C) as the temperature rises, which compromises the welfare of the birds. When the environmental temperature exceeds the point of maximum heat loss (MAX), birds are unable to control their body temperature and death is inevitable (D).<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\n

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How do poultry cope with heat stress?<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Heat loss mechanisms avaiblable to birds. Radiation (green), convection (red), conduction (yellow) and evaporation (blue). <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n \n \n
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1.\tIncreasing heat loss<\/h3>\n \n

Radiation, convection and conduction are the three sensible heat loss mechanisms birds have to their disposal to maintain a constant body temperature.<\/p>\n