Designing and selecting efficient early warning strategies and increasing their efficiencies for animal husbandry

Abstract

Thermal indices such as the Temperature Humidity Index (THI) (Thom 1959) are useful tools for the management of domestic animals during periods of hot weather. The usefulness of a climate index is limited, however, if it is not in some way related to an animal response. The biological response of animals to prevailing weather conditions has been studied and quantified within the context of weather conditions (e.g. Berry et al. 1964; Hahn and McQuigg 1970a; Hahn 1976; Baccari 2001; Eigenberg et al. 2008; Gaughan et al. 2008). © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.