Alleviating heat stress effects in poultry: updates on methods and mechanisms of actions

Abstract

Heat stress is a threat that can lead to significant financial losses in the production of poultry in the world’s tropical and arid regions. The degree of heat stress (mild, moderate, severe) experienced by poultry depends mainly on thermal radiation, humidity, the animal’s thermoregulatory ability, metabolic rate, age, intensity, and duration of the heat stress. Contemporary commercial broiler chickens have a rapid metabolism, which makes them produce higher heat and be prone to heat stress. The negative effect of heat stress on poultry birds’ physiology, health, production, welfare, and behaviors are reviewed in detail in this work. The appropriate mitigation strategies for heat stress in poultry are equally explored in this review. Interestingly, each of these strategies finds its applicability at different stages of a poultry’s lifecycle. For instance, gene mapping prior to breeding and genetic selection during breeding are promising tools for developing heat-resistant breeds. Thermal conditioning during embryonic development or early life enhances the ability of birds to tolerate heat during their adult life. Nutritional management such as dietary manipulations, nighttime feeding, and wet feeding often, applied with timely and effective correction of environmental conditions have been proven to ameliorate the effect of heat stress in chicks and adult birds. As long as the climatic crises persist, heat stress may continue to require considerable attention; thus, it is imperative to explore the current happenings and pay attention to the future trajectory of heat stress effects on poultry production.

Dietary plant flavonoid supplementation for poultry as a potent scavenger of hydroxyl radicals and antioxidants: a review

“…Challenges such as oxidative stress and infections have a number of detrimental effects on poultry welfare and productivity. Oxidative stress negatively affects the health and productivity of chickens, according to prior research (Onagbesan et al, 2023;Oluwagbenga & Fraley, 2023). Heat stress increases the production of ROS, which can lead to lipid peroxidation and oxidative damage to proteins and DNA (Belhadj Slimen et al, 2014).…”

Responses of Broiler Chickens Under Dexamethasone-Induced Stress with or Without Seleno Methionine and Vitamin E Supplementation

“…Overall, birds eat less in order to avoid excess heat load. As a consequence, feed efficiency is adversely affected (Onagbesan et al, 2023). This has a direct effect on protein catabolism which is further reflected in the significantly suppressed body weight gain and decreased feed efficiency in broiler chickens (Zaboli et al, 2019).…”

Performances and adaptability of two upgraded dwarf layers under smallholder farmers’ condition

“…The dwarf gene's reduction in body size plays a significant role in the acclimatization of chickens to the tropics through radiation and convection (Fathi et al, 2022). The dwarf chicken has an extra genetic advantage that allows it to retain more water in its body, making it more heat resistant (Onagbesan et al, 2023;Nawaz et al, 2024). Heat stress has less depressive effect on egg production in dwarf hens than the normal birds (Oluwagbenga and Fraley, 2023).…”

“…Heat stress has less depressive effect on egg production in dwarf hens than the normal birds (Oluwagbenga and Fraley, 2023). Better productivity and survivability of dwarf chickens under heat stress are linked to relatively reduced body sizes and increased sodium contents in their plasma (Wasti et al, 2020;Onagbesan et al, 2023). Thus, dwarf chickens require less care and nutrition than their normal-sized counterparts, are more resistant to heat and disease, and produce more eggs (Yeasmin and Howlider, 1998;Manyelo et al, 2020).…”