Heat stress in dairy cattle with emphasis on milk production and feed and water intake habits. Review

Abstract

The negative impact of heat stress (HS) in dairy cattle results in considerable economic losses at world level, as it reduces the milk production, reproductive efficiency, and productive life in the cows. In addition, the continuous genetic improvement results in highly productive cows, which are, however, less tolerant to HS because they produce greater metabolic heat. This, together with global warming, will turn HS into a hard-to-control challenge for the daily industry. In response dependent on the degree of HS, the dairy cattle carry out a series of physiological, metabolic and behavioral adjustments as thermoregulatory mechanisms for removing excess body heat and reducing the endogenous production of body heat, in order to maintain the normothermia. However, fertility and milk secretion decrease as a direct effect of hyperthermia and an indirect effect of lower dietary nutrient intake. Food and water intake are closely associated to the reduction of the productivity of dairy cattle exposed to HS. Notably, the impact of HS on productivity of dairy cattle varies among breeds, among which Bos taurus, particularly the Holstein breed, are less tolerant to HS. The identification of genes associated to thermotolerance utilized in selection programs using genetic markers to breed high milk-producing cows in warm climates is currently being studied. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the effects of HS on milk production, activation of thermoregulatory mechanisms and feed intake behavior in dairy cattle.