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Page Updated: 21 May 2024

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Caring for livestock during a heatwave

Extreme heat can have detrimental effects on animal health and wellbeing, including suffering and death.

Livestock owners should take special care of their sheep and cattle during a heatwave. Poultry are also vulnerable to heat and large losses can occur, especially early in the South Australian summer, before birds have acclimatised.

Be ready at the start of October, using the below guidelines.

Sheep and cattle

Take these precautions to reduce the risks for livestock:

  1. Provide plenty of shade and shelter.
  2. Provide cool water close to the shade – animals drink up to double the amount of water in hot weather.
  3. Keep troughs clean, especially when moving stock into a new paddock.
  4. Don't let animals access dams which can become boggy, causing animals to get stuck.
  5. Check on livestock daily, looking for signs of heat stress such as sweating, panting, and drooling. If you are not living at the property where livestock is kept, arrange for a neighbour to check on animals in your absence.
  6. Minimise stock movement – if they must be moved, do it during the night or the coolest part of the day. Have contingency plans to handle unexpected breakdowns while transporting livestock during hot weather.

Poultry

The most important factor to cool birds down is ventilation, such as wind or fans. If temperatures are above 30°C, you can reduce the risks for poultry by providing:

  • large areas of shade and shelter – late afternoon losses occur because of direct sunlight on birds
  • enough space for each bird – in-shed temperature depends on stocking density
  • ventilation from fans, with back-up power supplies or alternative ventilation systems
  • cool water from foggers or sprinklers – these are less effective if humidity reaches 80%
  • cool drinking water by continuous running or using ice – warm water is rejected by heat affected birds.

The length of a heatwave and height of night temperature are significant factors in stock and production losses. Take these precautions to prepare for a heatwave:

  1. Check water supplies, cooling equipment, and waterers – water consumption doubles when temperature rises from 21°C to 33°C.
  2. If necessary, repaint roofs and revise your poultry house design.
  3. Slash weeds around sheds and remove accumulated manure.
  4. Clean wire to ensure maximum air flow.
  5. Check and clean thermometers – management should be based upon bird condition rather than absolute temperature.
  6. Provide higher nutrient density rations – this may be needed because of appetite loss.

Poultry house design

Consider the following elements of your poultry house to minimise heat:

  • Roof reflection – a double coat of the following mixture applied to the roof will reduce the in-house temperature by up to 5°C:
    • 9 kg hydrated lime
    • 0.5 litre PVA emulsion
    • 20 Iitres water.
  • Insulation – extremely useful in reducing radiant heat.
  • Ventilation – sheds should be constructed using ventilation principles, such as greater width in the gable. Bad environmental conditions can be overcome by using evaporative coolers.
  • Walls – the late afternoon sun on galvanised walls magnifies heat stress on that side of the shed. This requires changing design.
  • Flaps or shutters have the advantage of excluding direct sun but allowing unrestricted air movement.
  • Water supply – direct exposure of water lines to the sun results in warm, unpalatable water. Deep burial of pipes on the southern walls helps keep water cool.
  • Filters – where dam or bore water is used, these are a sound investment to prevent clogging.

Cooling equipment

We recommend providing ventilation and cooling during a heatwave with the following equipment:

  • Roof sprays – these help to reduce heat build-up in sheds. The water can be recirculated or run off the roof to give an evaporative cooling effect.
  • Foggers – sharp temperature drops in a short period can be achieved using foggers with low pressure systems (limit their use to 30 seconds at a time to avoid undesirable feather wetting).
  • Horizontal fans – it is critical to circulate cool air and remove body heat. Fogging nipples mounted on the front aid evaporative cooling.
  • Medication tanks – used for water storage or as a supply point for cooling water by holding crushed ice in them.
  • Evaporative coolers – ideal for air movement, removing the need to constantly attend the birds. Consider the shed size, design, insulation and temperature range to work out how many will be needed. Experience shows that 0.17 to 0.28 square metres per minute (6 to 10 cubic feet per minute) is the usual requirement range.

Daily heatwave management

Use some restraint with cooling equipment at the start of summer, to allow the birds to become acclimatised.

The following should be the daily routine during heatwaves:

  1. Start the day early. Be forewarned by weather forecasts.
  2. Open ventilation areas except where birds will be exposed to direct sunlight.
  3. Check water lines and drinkers to ensure adequate water supplies.
  4. Collect eggs early to avoid soiling from foggers.
  5. Roof spray reduces radiant heat as the sun rises in the sky.
  6. Use foggers when the temperature reaches 33°C. Observe birds for panting to guide the initiation of this treatment.
  7. Keep water cool.
  8. Move cautiously through the shed to avoid further stress.
  9. Ensure late afternoon care.
  10. Remove all dead birds after the crisis.
  11. Move lighting patterns to give extra lighting in the cooler periods of the day, enabling birds to feed when cooler.
  12. Check all equipment in case it is needed the next day.

Young birds carry less fat and have a higher heatwave tolerance. Providing vitamins A, D3, and E can help in reducing heatwave stress for poultry.

More information

Consult your local vet for further advice, or read: