Citation: Kioumarsi, H., Shariman Yahaya, Z., & Jafar Khorshidi, K. (2025). The Impact of Climate Change on Animal Husbandry: Challenges and Adaptation Strategies. Springer Nature Communities. https://go.nature.com/4so4UrZ

Introduction

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations are utilized in different sectors and scientific disciplines, such as medical science and agricultural and food science. Nevertheless, it is a fact that a more effective link needs to be generated regarding these goals and animal husbandry, because of the major role played by this sector in the wake of climate change.

Livestock production is the backbone of world agriculture because it provides basic food resources as well as economic support for many people in the world. Due to increased populations in the world and rising requirements for meat consumption, meat production has become even more important for food support in the world. Nevertheless, this completely essential sector for food support has been facing serious challenges because of climate change due to various activities of the human population.

Over the past decades, these climate shifts have resulted in an increased destabilization of agriculture, but the effect on animal husbandry is more adverse. Animal husbandry activities can be affected by the rising temperatures, the unpredictability of precipitation patterns, as well as the rising occurrence levels of extreme events like drought or floods.

The important impacts triggered by climate change are heat stress on animals, feed and water scarcity, increased risks of diseases and pests, and changed breeding patterns. Generally, such impacts may accentuate vulnerabilities especially among developing countries with less adaptation capacity due to limited resources. The challenge of adapting and changing husbandry practices thus lies with farmers, scientists, and governments.

Temperature extremes: Livestock wellbeing

Cattle, sheep, and poultry are most susceptible to heat. It is known that heat stress is responsible for reduced feeding and breeding, growth rate, milk secretion, and fertility, while it can also increase mortality rates. Each breed has different resistance capacities towards heat. However, it has been established that most breeds prefer a specific range.

Rain and feed

Changes in rainfall patterns result in droughts or flooded conditions, thereby disrupting the supplies of forage as well as water. Drought conditions build the demand for supplementary feeding and increase costs, while flooded pastures either decrease grazing or make them waterlogged. Diseases can also be promoted by excess moisture.

Disease 

Disease and parasite spread warmer and more humid environments mean that there is an increased range of livestock diseases and parasites. The scope of tick-borne diseases increases, as do zoonotic diseases, which may change distribution. An increased level of disease has a financial impact on farming because of expenses involved in treatment and prevention.

Breeding and reproduction

These temperature and humidity shifts can alter breeding cycles, reducing fertility and increasing early embryonic loss. Hot conditions may delay puberty or pregnancies, thus shrinking productivity and profit. A cycle can emerge in which poorer health and fertility raise the cost and risk of disease, bringing changes in breeding schedules and greater emphasis on genetic improvement fitted to new climates.

Adaptation strategies

Farmers can work to diminish the impacts of climate change through several approaches including:

Climate-resilient breeding

Select and develop animals with heat tolerance, disease resistance, and efficient feed usage. Breeds adapted to hot climates may be more productive elsewhere, and their genetic programs can emphasize drought tolerance and feed efficiency to future-proof operations.

Modern Farm Management and Farm Monitoring System

By using climate prediction tools, soil moisture sensors, and livestock monitoring equipment, more effectiveness can be applied regarding the management of livestock feeding, watering, and breeding. With regard to reducing animal stress, methods such as heat protection, which include creating shade, air circulation, and cooling fans, can be employed while enhancing irrigation management. Other practices involving better grazing methods such as rotational grazing can reduce persistent use of pastureland, thereby limiting the need to supplement livestock diets with additional feeding. By using drought-tolerant pastures, forage can be preserved by converting it into silage and hay.

Increased disease control and biosecurity

Providing investment in veterinary care, vaccination, sanitation, early disease detection, and biosecurity to avoid outbreaks. There is potential to manage parasites using less pesticide through integrated pest management.

Policy and financial support

For governments or institutions to aid the process, there would be the need for climate-smart breeding subsidies, infrastructure project grants, climate risk insurance, and loans for adapting. Capacity-building for small farmers, particularly in developing areas, would ensure good coverage.

Conclusion

Climate change is undoubtedly affecting animal husbandry. However, through the breeding of resistant animals, better management practices, as well as sustainable feed practices, the negative effects can be mitigated. Scientists, the government, and farmers must work in partnership to ensure that animal husbandry is resilient.

References

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