Environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, water quality, and altitude can significantly impact animal health, welfare, and productivity. High or low temperatures, humidity, poor water quality, and altitude can cause heat stress, reduced growth and reproduction, and disease in livestock. Nutritional deficiencies or imbalances can also influence animal well-being and performance. Managing the physical and chemical environment surrounding animals and providing quality nutrition and water are important for optimal health and survival.

1. IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS ON ANIMAL HEALTH, WELL-
BEING & SURVIVAL
Physical & Chemical Factors
GARRY D. LASAGA
Reporter

2. Microenvironment
The physical environment immediately
surrounding the animal – the primary enclosure
such as the cage, pen, or stall.
 Contains all the resources with which the
animals come directly in contact.
 Provides the limits of an animal’s immediate
environment.

3. Macroenvironment
 The physical
environment of the
secondary
enclosure, such as
a room, a barn, or
an outdoor habitat
Environmental
condition
Micro Macro
Temperature Higher Lower
Relative humidity Higher Lower
Ammonia Higher Lower
Particulates Higher Lower
Light Lower Higher

4. ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS
CLIMATE NUTRITION WATER ALTITUDE
Niyas et al., 2015

5. Temperature
& Humidity
Radiation
Air
movements Precipitation
CLIMATIC FACTORS (FAO)

6. Temperature & humidity
 Animals should be housed within temperature and
humidity ranges appropriate for the species, to
which they can adapt*
 Thermoneutral zone – ambient temperature in
which thermoregulation occurs without need to
increase metabolic heat production or evaporative
heat loss.

7. Animal Dry-bulb temperature
Mouse, rat, hamster, gerbil, guinea pig 20-26°C
Rabbit 16-22°C
Cat, dog, nonhuman primate 16-29°C
Farm animals, poultry 16-27°C
Recommended dry-bulb macroenvironmental temperatures for
common laboratory animals

8. Relative humidity
 Should be controlled but not as rigidly as
temperature
 30 – 70% is acceptable for most mammals
 Some species may require higher relative humidity ◦
(some species of nonhuman primates, tropical
reptiles, amphibians)

9. Radiation
 Factors that can increase heat load on grazing on
grazing animal:
 Direct solar radiation
 Radiation reflected from clouds or ground

10. Air movements
 Assist in heat loss by evaporation and by
conduction/convection*
 Required to remove noxious and toxic gases and
supply of fresh air.
 A minimum requirement is 0.2 m/s wind velocity.

11. Precipitation
Heavy rain my penetrate the fur of an animal
and decrease its insulation value.
Provision of a shelter for the animals the
problem may be avoided altogether.

12. Effects of Climatic Factors
on Livestock Performance

13. Heat Stress
Seijan, 2012

14. HEAT STRESS
Reduced milk
protein
Reduced milk fat Reduced SCC
MILK PROD’N
Reduced SNF
Lam et al., 2010

15. HEAT STRESS
Reduced sperm count Decreased sperm motility
Increase in abnormal
sperm
REPRODUCTION
Reduced fertility, libido &
testicular degeneration
Hansen, 2009

16. HEAT STRESS
Reduced estrus
expression
Increase in
embryonic loss
FEMALE REPROD’N
Naqvi et al., 2012

17. Seijan et al., 2016

18. Effects of climate on animals
 PIGS: piglets – hypoglycemia (cold stress); sows –
heat stress induces fall in reproduction rates and
trampling piglets
 SHEEP: heat stress reduces twinning, decreases
BW in lambs
 GOATS: excessive wetting can cause pneumonia

19. Effects of climate on animals (poultry)
 Broilers and young turkeys reared at temperatures
below 18°C are heavier than similar stock reared within
the 18 to 35°C, but their feed conversion efficiency will
be less.
 Layers produce the greatest number of eggs and the
largest sized eggs at 13 to 24° C.
 The best feed conversion efficiency is achieved at 21 to
24° C.

20. Effects of climate on animals
 Within the temperature range of 5 to 30°C there is a
reduction of about 1.6% in feed intake for every
10°C increase in ambient temperature.
 Above 24°C there is a reduction in egg production
and egg size.

21. Climatic factors: Maximum and minimum temperature, relative
humidity
Hot (June – September) and cold (December-March) seasons
161,299 parity records from 101 herds
Japan

22. Discussion of the study
 There is a negative effect of HT and high humidity
on the occurrence of sows having SBP (parity 6).
High cortisol in the blood which counters the effect
of oxytocin.
Heat-stressed sows have prolonged parturition, and
have SBP due to hypoxia or asphyxia.

23. Discussion of the study
 The study reported sow exposure to lower peri-
farrowing LT is associated with a higher occurrence of
sow having SBP.
 Longer farrowing duration that increases risk for SBP.

24. NUTRITION
(POOR)
Delays
reproduction
Reduces
conception
rate
Increase
pregnancy
losses
Affects
growth &
milk prod’n
Qureshi, 2012

25. Effect of Nutrition on Puberty
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
0 4 8 12 16 20 24
BodyWeight(X100lbs.)
Age (months)
2.0 lb/day
1.2 lb/day
1.5 lb/day

26. Effects of Nutrition on Animal
Health

27. Ruminal acidosis
 Species: ruminants (cattle)
 Acute disease: indigestion, rumen stasis, dehydration,
acidosis, toxemia, incoordination, collapse and
frequently death.
 Etiology: Most common in cattle that accidentally gain
access to large amounts of highly soluble CHO such as
finely ground grains e.g., wheat, barley and corn.

28. Epistaxis cases – extensive bleeding from mouth and nose.
Acidotic cows showing poor rumen fill, arched backs (associated with lameness)
and loose faeces.
Very liquid faeces –poorly formed.
RUMINAL ACIDOSIS

29. Hardware disease
 Most common in mature dairy
cattle.
 Swallowed metallic objects (nails or
pieces of wire), fall directly into the
reticulum.
 Acute local peritonitis: abdominal
pain, moderate fever, rumen atony,
etc.

30. Bloat
 Dietary; occurs in cattle in legume pasture (succulent,
immature) and in feedlot cattle on high grain (finely
ground) diets.
 Economic importance: heavy losses, death, decreased
milk yield along with reduced appetite, use of less
productive but safer pastures, cost of preventative
measures and treatment.

31. Effects of Nutritional deficiency on
Animal Well-being

32. Nutritional deficiency
 Iodine – goiter and increased neonatal mortality is caused
in all species; prolonged gestation occurs in horses and
sheep.
 Copper – enzootic ataxia in lambs is due either to a
primary copper deficiency or to a secondary deficiency
 Vitamin D – neonatal rickets
 Vitamin A – eye defects, harelip and other defects in
piglets

33. Effects of water on livestock
 Limitation of water intake reduces animal performance
quicker and more dramatically than any other nutrient
deficiency (Boyles).
 Water constitutes about 60-70% of an animal’s live
weight and consuming water is more important than
consuming food (Faries, Sweeten & Reagor, 1997).

34. Effects of water on livestock
 Its key roles are for normal metabolic function,
blood circulation, digestion, temperature regulation,
excretion and elimination, protein and energy
metabolism and lactation.

35. Effects of water access & quality
 LACK OF WATER
 Decrease feed consumption
 Reduce growth rate
 Decrease efficiency of feed utilization
 Reduce milk production, excess weight loss (sows)

36. Effects of water access & quality
 Farm managers with high producing dairy cows have
reported substantial increases in milk output when cows
have readily accessible water.
 Two to five additional pounds of milk per cow per day is
not uncommon.
Landefeld, 2010

37. Effects of water quality
 Good quality water is clean, odorless, palatable, free of
toxins and has low mineral content*
 Salinity – refers to the total concentration of dissolved
salts: magnesium, potassium, bicarbonate, calcium,
phosphates & sulfate.
 Due to rising water tables (land clearing, water over use), salts in
fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides**
Bennett, n.d.

38. Effects of water quality
 Pigs do not tolerate high levels of sulfates well;
performance can be reduced and diarrhea present when
sulfates exceed 7,000 ppm in water.
 Newly weaned pigs are most susceptible to problems
associated with high sulfate levels*
 Sulfates can also have a laxative effect in poultry thereby
degrading health and performance.
Landefeld, 2010

39. Effects of water quality
 NITRATE & NITRITE
 Can reduce overall performance by impairing vit. A
utilization*
 A study with commercial broilers showed that nitrate
levels greater than 20 mg per liter had a negative affect
on weight, feed conversion, or performance**
Landefeld, 2010

40. Effects of photoperiod
 Seasonal polyestrus (short day: ewe, doe/long day:
mare)*
 There is a correlation between length of day and rate of
laying.
 Artificial light is used in temperate zone to equalize egg
production throughout the year.

41. Effects of altitude
 Atmospheric pressure varies with altitude
 As the altitude increases, the oxygen content of the
air decreases.
 Less oxygen reaches the lungs.

42. Ladakh is a remote and difficult terrain of India for studying the impact of climate change on livestock production. This
area is situated at high altitude, which varies from 10,000 to 12,000 feet from mean sea level (MSL) and temperature range is
35° to –35°C. The atmospheric oxygen pressure is 30% short of MSL. Therefore, this region exhibits hypobaric-hypoxia,
extreme cold and dry-arid climate for most of the year, which restrict the growth and productivity of the different livestock
populations, including dairy cattle. However, demands are very high for milk and milk products by local people, Indian
troops deployed in this region and tourists. Availability of fodder and high altitude stress-induced maladies, mountain
sickness (brisket edema), stunted growth, infertility, mastitis pneumonia, etc. severely limits the dairy development, which
has increased the gap between supply and demand of dairy products in this region. The present article reviewed the available
reports and presents authors’ own observations on how this climate change impacted on health, production and
reproduction of dairy cattle in high altitude cold desert.

43. Fig. 2. Barren lands covered with unknown grasses, lucerne, and grain
crops (left to right) during summer.
Fig. 3. Stall feeding of dairy cattle.

44. Fig. 1. Variation in relative humidity (RH), maximum temperature (Tmax), and minimum
temperature (Tmin) of six consecutive years (2010–2015) in Leh-Ladakh, Kashmir.

45. High altitude disease
 Common condition in cattle raised on ranches at
high altitude (˃5,000ft).
 Less oxygen reaches the lungs and pulmonary
artery.
 May cause pulmonary arterial hypertension, right-
sided heart failure, edema of the brisket, death.

46. Figure 2 Diagram illustrating the relationships between agronomic and environmental factors affecting soil, plant, crop and
animal health. (WUE = water use efficiency)

47. Conclusion
 Environmental factors are the primary factors influencing livestock
production in the changing climatic condition. Environmental
stresses reduce production parameters like growth, milk yield, and
reproduction in livestock leading to severe economic constraints.
 To reduce the economic burden on farmers as a result of
environmental stresses, strategies need to be developed with
multidisciplinary approach to reduce the adverse effects of
environmental stresses negatively impacting livestock production.

48. Reference
 Abdul Niyas, P.A., K. Chaidanya, S. Shaji, V. Sejian, R. Bhatta, M. Bagath, G. S.
Rao, E. K. Kurien, and V. Girish. 2015. Adaptation of livestock to
environmental challenges. J Vet Sci Med Diagn 4:3. doi: 10.4172/2325-
9590.1000162
 Tani, S., R. Iida, and Y. Koketsu. 2016. Climatic factors, parity and total
number of pigs born associated with the occurrences and numbers of stillborn
piglets during hot or cold seasons in breeding herds. Vet. Med. An. Sci. 4(3).
Doi:10.7243/2054-3425-4-3
 Tummaruk, P., W. Tantasuparuk, M. Techakumphu, and A. Kunavongkrit.
2004. Effect of season and outdoor climate on litter size at birth in purebred
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doi:10.1292/jvms.66.477

49. Reference
 Senger, P.L. (2005). Pathways to pregnancy and parturition, 2nd ed. Cadmus
Professional Communications, WA, US.
 Radostits, O.M., Gay, C.C., Hinchcliff, K.W. and Constable, P.D. (2006). Veterinary
medicine: a textbook of the diseases of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses, 6th
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 ______ (2007). Ruminal acidosis – understandings, prevention and treatment. A
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https://www.ava.com.au/sites/default/files/documents/Other/RAGDAR_doc.pdf
 Seijan, V., J.B. Gaughan, R. Bhatta and S.M.K. Naqvi. (2016). Impact of climate change
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https://www.feedipedia.org/content/impact-climate-change-livestock-productivity