Agriculture Victoria have made the following suggestions for this week’s hot weather forecast:
Managing animals in high temperatures requires good forward planning. Keeping an eye on the weather forecasts and developing a plan for days of high to extreme temperatures (over 36 °C if dry heat, less if humid) is essential in ensuring that your animals will have sufficient shade and water on those very hot days.
It is a good idea to monitor ‘apparent temperature’ during high and moderate heat days, as this takes into account the effect of humidity on how stock react to the environmental conditions.
Extreme heat causes significant stress for all animals.
There are a few simple guidelines you can follow to reduce the impacts of high temperatures on animals. Even if they do not show signs of stress, they will have to manage increased temperature impacts on their body – the ‘heat load’ – through their physiology.
Heat load can be worsened by high overnight temperatures, where the heat load of the day cannot be removed before the following hot day. This means there is increased risk of heat stress when there are consecutive hot days and critically where there are nighttime temperatures above 25 °C.
It is the responsibility of owners or people in charge of animals to be well prepared for heat events to ensure the welfare of their animals is maintained. This includes forward planning of farm infrastructure to provide shaded areas with good ventilation to maximise heat loss, along with a good water supply.
Animals need to be checked regularly throughout the day for signs of heat stress, along with water points to ensure animals have access to ample cool water.
The provision of plentiful clean, cool water and shade is essential.
Water troughs or containers should be large enough and designed in such a way that all animals have easy access. The number of watering points and water flow should be increased if a large number of animals are kept together, as their water consumption may double on a hot day.
Troughs or containers should be firmly fixed so they cannot overturn. They should be kept clean and should be designed and maintained to prevent injuries. Large concrete troughs help keep drinking water cool.
Water pipes should be of sufficient diameter with sufficient pressure to cope with periods of peak demand. and buried around 15cm deep to keep the water cool. Unless you are around to continually check water containers, water should be provided through automatic or reticulated systems as containers may be emptied or tipped over by thirsty animals.
The location of water should be familiar to animals in the days before extreme heat occurs. Animals should not have to walk too far for water. If putting livestock into a new paddock, especially where pasture is high, ensure they are familiarised with watering points as the height of pasture may prevent them from seeing the water sites (especially young or small stock).
Animals need to be provided with shelter during extended periods of extreme temperatures. Shelter is especially important for very young or old animals and animals that are in poor condition or sick.
The best type of shelter during extreme heat protects the animals from the sun and allows for the cooling effect of wind. The following is a list of shelter alternatives:
Constructed shelters – using materials such as shade cloth, corrugated iron or timber. Aluminium or galvanised steel are ideal roofs for shelters, kennels, and chicken coops as these materials are very good at reflecting the radiative rays of the sun.
Trees with large canopies can be planted individually in fields. Trees have a cooling effect due to the absorption of heat by the leaves.
Naturally undulating paddocks and gullies.
Shelterbelts – thick hedges of trees often fenced off from stock, shelter belts can provide good protection from the sun, but should be thinned evenly to allow wind flow and planted in an east-west direction to provide shade during the hottest part of the day.
Forestry blocks can provide temporary shelter from extreme heat.
Pets and small animals should be moved to cool areas of the house or shed.
During extreme heat conditions, wind flow is important for keeping animals cool, so this should be considered when deciding the type and location of shelter.
