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About TTXA comprehensive enterprise specializing in the R&D, production, and sales of feed additives.
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ProductsWe specialize in providing high-quality feed additive solutions for farmed animals, including livestock, poultry, aquaculture, and ruminants.
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News & EventsThanks to its exceptional product quality and service, the company’s market share in the international market has grown steadily year by year, earning high recognition and trust from numerous customers.
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Technology CenterWe consistently adhere to technological innovation as the core driving force and are committed to promoting technological advancement in the industry.
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Contact UsWe look forward to collaborating with more partners to jointly promote the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry and contribute to global food security.
A Scientific Guide to Summer Livestock and Sheep Raising: Preventing Heat Stress, Maintaining Health, and Boosting Efficiency for Higher Profits
Release time:
2025-07-10
In the sweltering summer months, the combination of high temperatures and humidity not only makes the heat unbearable but also poses a significant challenge for cattle and sheep farming. Heat stress, reduced feed intake, increased proliferation of parasites, and heightened risk of feed mold—all these issues can take a toll on livestock. So how can we help cattle and sheep weather the summer safely while maintaining their health and productivity? This scientific livestock management guide is here to provide you with the support you need!
1. Heat Prevention and Cooling: Creating a Cool and Comfortable Environment
Shade and ventilation are essential: Ensure that the shade structures in the animal housing area are intact to prevent direct sunlight from shining in. Open doors and windows as much as possible to promote air circulation; if necessary, install fans or wet curtains for forced ventilation and cooling.
Ensure a constant supply of sufficient hydration: Clean, cool drinking water is the top priority in summer! Increase the number of drinking stations and change the water frequently to guarantee a 24-hour uninterrupted supply. You can also add适量 electrolytes and vitamins to the drinking water to effectively relieve heat stress and maintain the body’s balance.
Sprinkling/Spraying for Smart Cooling: During peak temperature periods (from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), you can use intermittent sprinkling on the bodies of cattle and sheep (avoiding direct spraying on the head) or supplement cooling with indoor misting systems—both methods have proven highly effective.
Adjust your daily routine to avoid the heat: Try to schedule activities such as feeding and grazing during the cooler morning and evening hours, and avoid driving or transporting cattle and sheep during the hottest part of the day at noon.
II. Feed Nutrition: Precise Adjustment and Fine-Tuning to Ensure Adequate Intake
Enhancing palatability is key: High temperatures can reduce the appetite of cattle and sheep. You can appropriately increase the proportion of green, juicy feeds (such as high-quality silage corn and fresh pasture), which are rich in moisture and highly palatable. Concentrated feeds can be adjusted to formulations that are easily digestible and slightly higher in energy density.
Strictly prevent feed from becoming moldy: In summer, with high temperatures and humidity, feed—especially concentrates and silage—is highly susceptible to mold and spoilage! It is essential to strengthen feed storage management and keep warehouses dry and well-ventilated. We strongly recommend adding safe and effective mold inhibitors to feed; this is a cost-effective and efficient way to eliminate the hazards of mycotoxins and safeguard the intestinal health and immunity of cattle and sheep.
Scientifically supplement essential nutrients: Heat stress exacerbates nutrient depletion. Additionally supplement in feed or drinking water:
Vitamins (especially vitamins C, E, and the B complex): antioxidant, stress-relieving, and essential for maintaining normal metabolism.
Minerals (especially potassium, sodium, and magnesium): Replenish losses due to increased sweating and urination, and maintain electrolyte balance.
Essential trace elements (such as zinc and selenium): Support immune function and reproductive performance.
Adjust the feeding method: Increase the number of feedings while reducing the amount fed each time, thereby preventing feed from accumulating in the trough, fermenting, and going bad. Ensure that the feed troughs are kept clean.
3. Daily Management: Details Determine Success or Failure
Reasonably reduce stocking density: Avoid overcrowding, increase space for heat dissipation, and minimize heat stress and aggression.
Reduce stressors: As much as possible, avoid performing operations that may cause severe stress—such as immunization, group transfers, and hoof trimming—during periods of high temperature.
Observe carefully and keep detailed records: Daily, meticulously observe the cattle and sheep’s mental state, respiratory rate, feed intake, rumination patterns, fecal consistency, and other relevant indicators. If any abnormalities are detected, address them immediately and keep thorough records.
Scientific breeding, with health as the foundation!
Although summer livestock farming presents numerous challenges, as long as we adopt scientific approaches and practice meticulous management, we can effectively mitigate the impact of heat stress, safeguard the health of cattle and sheep, and even maintain or enhance production efficiency.
Latest experiment
Broiler Glucose Oxidase Experiment
One-day-old Ross 308 broiler chickens were selected, with a total of 4 chicken houses, each housing 11,000 birds. The birds were randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group, with 2 chicken houses assigned to each group. The control group was fed a commercial diet supplemented with Changle (allicin and oregano phenol) at 100 mL/ton, while the treatment group was fed a commercial diet supplemented with glucose oxidase at 100 U/L. During the trial period, birds had free access to feed and water. The trial lasted for 42 days. The experimental diet consisted of corn, soybean meal, wheat, cottonseed meal, DDGS, peanut meal, duck fat, and premixes, among other ingredients; nutritional parameters are shown in Table 1.
Lactic Acid Bacteria Experiment
Effect of Lactic Acid Bacteria on Broiler Diarrhea: A Raising Experiment Experimental Site: Jiyang Zheng* Animal Husbandry Farm Experiment Period: August 31, 2015 – September 4, 2015 Experimental Subjects: 30-day-old broilers Experimental Design: Control Group: Normal feeding + normal drinking water Experimental Group: Normal feeding + normal drinking water + lactic acid bacteria (liquid)
Piglet Fruit Milk Flavor Experiment
Twenty 28-day-old weaned piglets of the Duroc × Landrace × Large White crossbreed, with similar body weights and in good health, were selected for the trial. They were randomly divided into two treatment groups: a control group and a test group. The control group was fed a basal diet, while the test group was fed a basal diet supplemented with 600 g/t of fruit-milk flavoring. Each group consisted of five replicates, with two piglets per replicate. During the trial period, the pigs had free access to feed and water, and the trial lasted for 28 days.
In this trial, 120 healthy, growing pigs of similar body condition, weighing 80 ± 10 kg, were randomly divided into a control group, an antibiotic group, and an essential oil group. The specific feeding design is shown in Table 1. Each group consisted of 4 replicates, with 10 pigs per replicate. The trial duration was 29 days. The experimental diet was formulated according to the nutritional requirements outlined in NRC (2012). During the trial, pigs had free access to feed and water, and were subjected to routine husbandry management and vaccination protocols. Body weights at the beginning and end of the trial, as well as feed intake, were recorded. At the end of the trial, fresh fecal samples were collected from each pig, placed into sterile 10 ml centrifuge tubes, and stored at -80℃.
Tian Yikang replaces chlortetracycline in the ROSS-308 trial.
This experiment employed a single-factor experimental design. A total of 6,000 Ross-308 broiler chickens, aged 1 day and with roughly similar body weights and good health conditions, were randomly selected and divided into three treatment groups, with five replicates per group, each replicate consisting of 400 chickens. The control group was fed a basal diet based on corn and soybean meal. The experimental group 1, the antibiotic group, had 50 g/t of a 15% chlortetracycline premix added to the basal diet. The experimental group 2, the Tianyikang addition group, had 1,500 g/t of Tianyikang added to the basal diet. The entire experiment lasted for 42 days.
Since 1998, focused on animal feed intake and health.
Address: Zhandong Village, Dangjia Town, Shizhong District, Jinan, Shandong Province, China.