Just as humans prefer to be in comfortable temperatures, livestock enjoy the same. In general, the animals that live in environments with the ideal temperature and humidity levels are the most comfortable, productive and, consequently, valuable. With the help of temporary climate control solutions, you can provide your livestock with an environment that benefits their health and your bottom line.
The Consequences of Neglecting Climate Control Solutions
- Altered metabolic rates: When animals feel too warm or cold, they alter their metabolic rates and behaviors to maintain an ideal body temperature. This metabolic change impacts fertility and how much animals eat, gain weight and consume water. For example, temperatures that are too high can cause poultry to produce smaller eggs with weaker shells.
- Altered kidney function: When animals feel hot, they pant. When an animal pants too much, it may trigger respiratory alkalosis. This causes body fluids to become more alkaline and the kidneys to expel a large number of various electrolytes.
- Health and performance problems: When a livestock facility uses foggers to cool animals when temperatures are high, but fail to provide adequate ventilation, humidity levels may increase to the point that the animals cannot cool themselves by evaporation. The excess moisture may also lead to the growth of microorganisms in animal feed and waste that can threaten the health of the livestock.
- Relieve heat-related stress: Animals pant and depend upon convection, radiation or conduction to dissipate heat in a facility to stay cool and healthy. With climate control technology, you can provide an environment that prevents and relieves heat stress.
- Ensure proper ventilation: Livestock naturally emit carbon dioxide and methane, which can become dangerous in enclosed areas. Climate control systems prevent the buildup of harmful gasses and supply oxygen while removing excess moisture, dust and odors. With the right system, you can adjust the ventilation requirements according to the weather, season, age range of the animals and the number of animals in an area.
- Remove excess heat: Animals herded together in a facility naturally raise indoor temperatures. A ventilation system removes the excess warm hair by replacing it with fresh outdoor air.
- Keep livestock cool on warm days: On warm days, ventilation systems alone cannot reduce the temperatures within a facility so they’re cooler than the outside temperature. Climate control technologies lower indoor temperatures and help livestock lower their own body temperatures.
- Keep young animals warm: Even when herded together, some young animals may not give off enough body heat to stay warm on cold days. Using temporary climate control will enable you to maintain the temperatures the young animals need to thrive.
How to Use Climate Control Solutions to Keep Livestock Performing at Peak Efficiency
Climate control solutions help guarantee the optimal environmental conditions for enhancing your livestock’s production and quality of life, as well as your financial results. Not only are the technologies beneficial for the animals, they also help workers in a facility stay healthy and feel more comfortable. Polygon offers a variety of custom solutions to ensure proper ventilation, humidity and temperature levels for livestock facilities. Contact us to learn more.
[Photo from Oliver Clarke via CC License 2.0]
