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2. Climate change
Climate is Statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure,
wind, precipitation, atmospheric particle count and other
meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long
periods.
Climate change refers to a change of climate which is attributed
directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the
composition of the global atmosphere.
Climate change is a threat to livestock production because of the
impact on quality of feed crop and forage, water availability, animal
and milk production, livestock diseases, animal reproduction, and
biodiversity.

4. Livestock Production and Climate Change
Livestock systems directly support the livelihoods of at least 600 million smallholder farmers, mostly in sub-
Saharan Africa and South Asia. It is a rapidly-growing agricultural subsector, and its share of agricultural GDP is
33 percent and rising, driven by population growth, urbanization and increasing incomes in developing countries.
 Demand for all livestock products is expected to nearly double in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia by 2050.
On the other hand, changes in climate over the last 30 years have already reduced global agricultural production in
the range 1-5 % per decade.
Unlike for cropping systems, there is currently only limited evidence for recent impacts on livestock systems.
For future impacts, projections indicate widespread Livestock Production and Climate Change . Livestock systems
directly support the livelihoods of at least 600 million smallholder farmers, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and South
Asia.
It is a rapidly-growing agricultural subsector, and its share of agricultural GDP is 33 percent and rising, driven by
population growth, urbanization and increasing incomes in developing countries. Demand for all livestock products
is expected to nearly double in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia by 2050.
On the other hand, changes in climate over the last 30 years have already reduced global agricultural production
in the range 1-5 % per decade. Unlike for cropping systems, there is currently only limited evidence for recent
impacts on livestock systems.

5. For future impacts, projections indicate widespread negative impacts on forage quality and thus on
livestock productivity in both high and low latitudes. The negative effects of increased temperature on feed intake,
reproduction and performance across the range of livestock species are reasonably well understood .
The need to adapt to climate change and to mitigate greenhouse emissions will undoubtedly add to the costs of
production in different places and the projected growth in bio-fuels may have substantial additional impacts on
competition for land and on food security.

6. Livestock and climate change have a close
relationship. The spatial distribution and availability of
pasture and water are highly dependent on the pattern
and availability of rainfall. Changes in the patterns of
rainfall and ranges of temperature affect feed
availability, grazing ranges, feed quality, weed, pest
and disease incidence.
Thus, changes in climatic factors such as temperature,
precipitation and the frequency and severity of
extreme events like droughts directly affected
livestock yields. High production animals are
subjected to greater influence by climatic factors,
particularly those rose under tropical conditions,
due to high air temperatures and relative humidity.
The maintenance energy requirements of a dairy cow
weighing 635kg yielding 36kg of milk per day may be
increased by 22% at 32 0c compared with the energy
requirements at 16 0c. For the same temperature
increase, predicted a dry matter intake decrease by
18% and milk decrease by 32%
Quality of feed crops and forage may be
affected by increased temperatures and dry
conditions due to variations in concentrations
of water-soluble carbohydrates and nitrogen.
Temperature increases may increase lignin
and cell wall components in plants which
reduce digestibility and degradation rates
leading to a decrease in nutrient availability
for livestock.
However, as CO2 concentration rises forage
quality will improve more in C3 plants
than C4 plants. C3 plants also have greater
crude protein content and digestibility than
C4 plants
Water availability issues will influence the
livestock sector, which uses water for animal
drinking, feed crops, and product processes .
The livestock sector accounts for about 8%
of global human water use and an increase in
temperature may increase animal water
consumption by a factor of two to three .
To address this issue, there is a need to
produce crops and raise animals in livestock
systems that demand less water or in
locations with water abundance.

7. How climate change influences the distribution and prevalence
of diseases and parasites
The complexity of climate change is associated with so many factors like vectors. Tetse are very sensitive to environmental
change, either due to climate or direct human impacts on habitat but the impacts are vary in major species groups. Forest and
riverine species are much more sensitive to climatic factors that savannah species while riverine species are much more
adaptable to increasing human population densities than the other groups. Sleeping sickness, particularly the Gambians type,
will continue, as now, to be a major problem, if concerted control efforts are not implemented.
The impacts of changes in ecosystems on infectious diseases is depend on change in ecosystems, the type of land-
use, disease specific transmission dynamics, and risky and susceptibility of the populations. Climate change may affect
infectious diseases on their pathogens and higher temperatures may increase the rate of development of pathogens or
parasites According to the FAO (2007) among the direct effects of climate change are high temperatures and changes in
rainfall patterns, translating in an increased spread of existing vector-borne diseases and macro parasites of animals as
well as the emergence and spread of new diseases.
In some areas, climate change may also cause new transmission models and these effects will be felt by both developed and
developing countries, but developing countries will be most impacted because of their lack of resources, knowledge,
veterinarian and extension services and research technology development. Some of the indirect effects will be brought about
by changes in feed resources linked to the carrying capacity of rangelands, the buffering abilities of ecosystems, increased
desertification processes, increased scarcity of water resources, lower production of grain and so on.

9. Heat stress
All animals have a thermal comfort zone, which is a range of ambient environmental temperatures that are beneficial to
physiological functions .During the day, livestock keep a body temperature within a range of ±0.5 °C .When temperature
increases more than the upper critical temperature, the animals begin to suffer heat stress.
Animals have developed a phenotypic response to a single source of stress such as heat called acclimation. Acclimation
results in reduced feed intake, increased water intake, and altered physiological functions such as reproductive and
productive efficiency and a change in respiration rate.
Heat stress on livestock is dependent on temperature, humidity, species, genetic potential, life stage, and nutritional
status. Livestock in higher latitudes will be more affected by the increase of temperatures than livestock located in lower
latitudes, because livestock in lower latitudes are usually better adapted to high temperatures and droughts . Confined
livestock production systems that have more control over climate exposure will be less affected by climate change.
Heat stress decreases forage intake, milk production, the efficiency of feed conversion, and performance .Warm and
humid conditions cause heat stress, which affects behaviour and metabolic variations on livestock or even mortality. Heat
stress impacts on livestock can be categorized into feed nutrient utilization, feed intake, animal production, reproduction,
health, and mortality. The following presents these in more detail.

11. Cold stress affect dairy cows:
Minimize the effects of cold stress on your
herd this winter ...
Cold stress can impact cows in several
different ways, and it can also be difficult to
recognize.
 Some factors to look for include altered
behavior, huddling, reduced body condition
score, low feed and water intake, and
decreased milk production or growth
performance.

14. Conclusion
Heat stress is a major factor that reduces milk production in dairy cows.
The effect of heat stress on dairy production should be minimized by
combining strategies with a low investment cost together with good
management practice for farm animals. Utmost care should be developed
as discussed above through combine process like proper cooling system,
apt housing for animals and developing heat tolerant breeds.