Thermal stress and the productive performance of sheep: A review

Abstract

Climate has a marked effect on animal productivity, a feature that has its importance highlighted in relation to the recent verified climate changes and the predictions of increase in global warming. In this context, the present review aims to discuss the effects of climate on the thermal comfort, behavioral aspects and productive performance of sheep. Climatic conditions result in relevant physiological and behavioral responses in sheep, and when these conditions reach high levels of stress, they have a strong impact on productivity indices. It is necessary to adapt management practices, installations, and feeding to allow better animal welfare conditions in the presence of stressful climatic conditions, as well as to select biotypes that are more adapted to the climatic characteristics of the productive system, in order to allow expression of the animals’ full productive potential.