Development of microclimate modification patterns in animal husbandry

Abstract

For an animal to maintain homeothermia, the environment and the animal must exchange heat at a rate that permits balancing the metabolic heat production and the energy exchanges. See for details Sects. III.6.A.(v + vi). In hot environments, energy exchanges by radiation are dominant, while convective energy exchanges tend to dominate in cold environments. Global climate change models predict an increase in heat stress events, as well as general warming in some regions (Gaughan et al. 2009). Therefore, environmental modifications to improve an animals microclimate become increasingly important. Nienaber and Hahn (2007) investigated ways to adapt current production systems in the face of a predicted rise in global temperatures (Box III.6.9). © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.