Nutritional strategies for amelioration of heat stress in dairy cows: A Review

Abstract

The livestock sector provides a consistent income to the farmer and acts as a backbone of the national economy along with agriculture and in the near future, this sector will become the major source to provide nutritional security (meat and milk) for the growing population. But the changing climate scenario and global warming are increasing the effect of Heat stress (HS) on animals and it becomes a severe threat to sustainable livestock production. HS compromises the growth, production, and reproduction efficiency of dairy cattle and will cause severe economic losses to the dairy farmer. The adverse effects of HS can be minimized by three types of interventions including genetic manipulation, nutritional interventions, and management practices that help the dairy cow to sustain production and reproduction in hot weather. Among these, nutritional strategies are simple and cost-effective in preventing the adverse effects of HS. This article will discuss various nutritional strategies such as the provision of ad libitum cold water, quality protein, fat, minerals, vitamins, and other feed additives necessary for dairy cows to cope with HS and sustain productivity in dairy cows.