RADA urges livestock owners to protect animals as temperatures rise

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is urging livestock owners to take immediate steps to protect their animals from rising temperatures, warning that heat stress can damage animal health, hamper reproduction, and reduce meat quality.
Heat stress is “the physiological strain experienced by animals when environmental temperatures exceed their thermoneutral zone, disrupting the balance between heat production and heat loss”, according to the US National Library of Medicine’s 2025 review, Heat Stress Effects on Animal Health and Performance in Monogastric Livestock: Physiological Responses, Molecular Mechanisms, and Management Interventions.
Senior livestock specialist at RADA, Maxine Brown, said maintaining adequate hydration is one of the most effective ways to reduce the effects of heat stress.
“Animals are really supposed to be drinking what we call potable water, the same kind of water that we drink. There are some tablets that you can use,and the same communication that persons receive for your own consumption to add a little bleach to their water, that is the same kind of treatment that you can give to the water as well,” she said.
The review, which focused on poultry and swine, found that heat stress can significantly reduce feed intake while affecting hormone function and gut health. Brown said farmers should adopt a combination of measures to keep animals cool and comfortable.
Among the recommendations are ensuring water remains cool and readily available. Brown advised farmers to paint water tanks white, rather than black, to reflect heat and prevent water temperatures from rising.
“You can paint water tanks a different colour from black – probably white – which tends to reflect most of the heat, so that the water remains cool. You can add ice to the water to make it cool because, if the water is warm or hot, then the animals are not going to drink it and, if the animals are not drinking, then that means they become dehydrated and you run the risk of losing them,” she said.
Nutrition can also play a role in helping animals cope with high temperatures. The review highlighted the value of nutritional interventions to improve hydration and manage heat stress. Brown said electrolytes and other supplements, available at farm supply stores can help lower animals’ body temperatures.
“These are supplements that you can find at any farm store to give to your animals. You also have sprinkler systems that you can put in place, including digital ones that are automatic. Some of them, you can look on your phone, and it can tell you the temperature and it automatically comes on when the temperature reaches a certain level,” she said.
Some species require particular attention. Brown noted that pigs are unable to regulate their body temperatures effectively and therefore need additional cooling measures.
“You want to put some kind of misting system in place to help them to keep cool. You also want to make sure that you are looking at the accommodation or the structure in which you’re putting your animals. We always say, when you’re putting up your poultry house, you put it in an east to west position so that, when the sun rises, it is on the shorter side of your house,” she said.
“When the sun sets, it is on the shorter side of your house, because, if you leave it to the broad side, then, when the sun rises, all that heat is getting at your chickens, and they will be suffering greatly from heat stress. So, the structure, you want to make sure it is well ventilated,” she added.
For poultry producers, proper ventilation remains critical. Brown recommended keeping curtains open for longer periods during warm conditions and adjusting management practices as temperatures change.
“If you know that in the nights you used to lower it, but you realise that the night-time temperatures are also high, you may have to keep the curtains open longer. Of course, you will have to put in fans to keep it cool because, once your animals are comfortable, they will continue to [produce and] reproduce. So, make sure that the structures are well ventilated and it is cool, so that the animals can feel comfortable,” she said.
Brown also encouraged prospective and existing livestock farmers to seek technical advice from RADA officers before constructing facilities, noting that poor orientation and design can make heat management more difficult and costly.
“This is why we say, when you’re going to go into livestock production, consult the RADA officers first because, if you put down your structure and it wasn’t oriented right, it’s going to be difficult to try to mitigate against all the heat that you’ll have to be dealing with now,” she said.
Livestock owners seeking technical support are encouraged to visit their parish RADA office or call 876-977-1158.