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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » Livestock Behavior Research » Research » Research Project #427084

Research Project: Managing Climate Change to Enhance Animal Welfare

Location: Livestock Behavior Research

Project Number: 5020-32000-013-015-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Aug 1, 2014
End Date: Jul 31, 2019

Objective:
The objectives of this project are identify physiological and behavioral adaptations to heat stress and develop methods to ameliorate its effects. Specifically, research will identify biomarkers that indicate at which point an animal starts to become distressed by heat and it will identify those management tools that allow the biomarker to return to a homeostatic point.

Approach:
Animals will be subjected to different environmental temperatures in ranges within and outside of their thermal neutral zone. Novel methods of detecting when the animal is pushed beyond its ability to cope will be developed. Based on the physiologic and behavioral responses of animals, management techniques will be investigated that allow animals to cope with thermal challenges.