Thermal Aid: Managing Heat Stress in Cattle Don Spiers Professor Environmental Physiology Division of Animal Science University of Missouri-Columbia What is the problem? HEAT STRESS IMPACTS ANIMAL HEALTH & WELFARE 1
CONFINED DAIRY GRAZING PASTURES FEEDLOT BEEF 2
ANNUAL INDUSTRY LOSSES DUE TO HEAT STRESS IN THE US $897,000,000 Dairy $369,000,000 Beef $299,000,000 Swine 3
Global temperature is rising Increase incidence of extreme temperatures 4
HOW DO PRODUCERS DEAL WITH THESE SITUATIONS? HOW DO THEY ASSESS THE LEVEL OF HEAT STRESS? HOW DO THEY MAKE INTELLIGENT DECISIONS FOR STRAIN REDUCTION? Ambient Temperature (C) Core Temperature (C) 41 40 39 38 37 36 50 40 30 20 10 0 Pasture Study - 2002 Intraperitoneal Ruminal Air Black Globe 5 15 25 35 45 55 65 Time (days) Gaughan, J.B., T.L. Mader, and K.G. Gebremedhin. 2012. Rethinking Heat Index Tools for Livestock. In: Environmental Physiology of Livestock. Eds. R.J. Collier and J.L. Collier. LIVESTOCK WEATHER SAFETY INDEX Temperature, o C Relative Humidity, % 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 10 54 54 54 54 53 53 53 53 52 52 52 52 52 51 51 51 51 50 50 50 12 56 56 56 56 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 14 58 58 58 58 58 58 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 16 59 59 59 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 61 61 61 61 18 61 61 61 62 62 62 62 62 62 63 63 63 63 63 64 64 64 64 64 64 20 63 63 63 64 64 64 64 65 65 65 66 66 66 66 67 67 67 67 68 68 22 64 65 65 66 66 66 67 67 67 68 68 69 69 69 70 70 70 71 71 72 24 66 67 67 68 68 69 69 70 70 70 71 71 72 72 73 73 74 74 75 75 26 68 69 69 70 70 71 71 72 73 73 74 74 75 75 76 77 77 78 78 79 28 70 70 71 72 72 73 74 74 75 76 76 77 78 78 79 80 80 81 82 82 30 71 72 73 74 74 75 76 77 78 78 79 80 81 81 82 83 84 84 85 86 32 73 74 75 76 77 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 34 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 36 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 93 94 95 96 97 38 78 79 81 82 83 84 85 86 88 89 90 91 92 93 95 96 97 98 99 100 40 80 81 82 84 85 86 88 89 90 91 93 94 95 96 98 99 100 101 103 104 42 82 83 84 86 87 89 90 91 93 94 95 97 98 99 101 102 104 105 106 108 44 83 85 86 88 89 91 92 94 95 97 98 99 101 102 104 105 107 108 110 111 46 85 87 88 90 91 93 94 96 98 99 101 102 104 105 107 109 110 112 113 115 Normal: 74 Alert: 75-78 Danger: 79-83 Emergency: 84 5
LIVESTOCK WEATHER SAFETY INDEX Temperature, o C Relative Humidity, % 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 10 54 54 54 54 53 53 53 53 52 52 52 52 52 51 51 51 51 50 50 50 12 56 56 56 56 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 55 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 14 58 58 58 58 58 58 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 57 16 59 59 59 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 61 61 61 61 18 61 61 61 62 62 62 62 62 62 63 63 63 63 63 64 64 64 64 64 64 20 63 63 63 64 64 64 64 65 65 65 66 66 66 66 67 67 67 67 68 68 22 64 65 65 66 66 66 67 67 67 68 68 69 69 69 70 70 70 71 71 72 24 66 67 67 68 68 69 69 70 70 70 71 71 72 72 73 73 74 74 75 75 26 68 69 69 70 70 71 71 72 73 73 74 74 75 75 76 77 77 78 78 79 28 70 70 71 72 72 73 74 74 75 76 76 77 78 78 79 80 80 81 82 82 30 71 72 73 74 74 75 76 77 78 78 79 80 81 81 82 83 84 84 85 86 32 73 74 75 76 77 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 34 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 36 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 93 94 95 96 97 38 78 79 81 82 83 84 85 86 88 89 90 91 92 93 95 96 97 98 99 100 40 80 81 82 84 85 86 88 89 90 91 93 94 95 96 98 99 100 101 103 104 42 82 83 84 86 87 89 90 91 93 94 95 97 98 99 101 102 104 105 106 108 44 83 85 86 88 89 91 92 94 95 97 98 99 101 102 104 105 107 108 110 111 46 85 87 88 90 91 93 94 96 98 99 101 102 104 105 107 109 110 112 113 115 Normal: 74 Alert: 75-78 Danger: 79-83 Emergency: 84 STILL THE QUESTION: WHAT DO THE PRODUCERS DO? Provide > decision-making tool - producers to identify level of heat stress, and ameliorate heat strain in livestock BIGGER QUESTION: WHAT DO THE PRODUCERS NEED ON A HANDHELD DEVICE? WHAT IS ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MAKE A DECISION & WHAT CAN BE ACCESSED ELSEWHERE? 6
BUILDING AN APP IS NOT EASY High School College STUDENTS PRODUCERS RESEARCH & EDUCATION THERMALAID KEY: INVOLVE STUDENTS (NEXT GENERATION) 7
UNDERGRADUATE CLASSES WORKSHOPS: AG SCIENCE STUDENTS MU STATE FAIR MU 8
INTERMISSION THERMAL AID LITE Phase I 9
ENVIRONMENT RESEARCHER SMARTPHONE APP ANIMAL PRODUCER THERMAL AID ICON Initial screen + info on app + Thermal Net web site entry 10
Note current temperature THI arrows are forward & backward in time Click Info Button Enter Zip Code for Different Location & Animal Name Also storage site for THI and other readings Start by selecting Beef or Dairy 11
For dairy grazing or free-stall High or low producing Healthy or sick 12
Can arrive at same location for beef Shifting forward in time 13
Click + Button for manual override and entry 14
Click Temp/ Humidity Button Information displayed for the animal where the + button was displayed 15
Access to tips 16
Add (+) or delete animals WHY MEASURE RESPIRATION RATE? Respiration rate - determine animal s immediate response to heat stress. Closely related to core temperature. 17
160 Respiration Rate (bpm) 140 120 100 80 60 40 37.5 38.0 38.5 39.0 39.5 40.0 40.5 41.0 Core Body Temperature ( o C) Timer button Enter breaths 18
Able to identify heat-sensitive and tolerant animals Will send this to a database along with ambient conditions All information accessed later for review YOUTUBE VIDEO + WEBINAR WEBSITE THERMALNET http://thermalnet.missouri.edu/ 19
http://thermalnet.missouri.edu/ 20
High School College STUDENTS PRODUCERS RESEARCH & EDUCATION THERMALAID THERMALNET INTERMISSION 21
THERMAL AID PRO The Next Phase FUTURE CHALLENGES 1. Long-term Heat Adaptation 2. Animal Variability 3. Response Reliability 4. Breed Differences 5. Age & Growth Differences 6. Immune Function & Health 7. Efficiency & Profit Other indices include: THI adj = 4.51 + THI 1.992 Wind Speed + 0.0068 Solar Radiation Eigenberg et al. 2005 RR = 2.8 Tdb + 2.4 Tdp 1.5 Wind Speed + 0.038 Solar 52.8 Radiation Eigenberg et al. 2005 HLI = Heat Load Index and AHL = Accumulated Heat Load using Black Globe Temperature and Wind Speed Gaughan et al. 2008 22
LONG-TERM GOALS FOR THE SYSTEM Network between producers & researchers Databases of field data (animal & ambient) available for analysis. HORIZON POINT (A site-specific weather system) http://agebb.missouri.edu/horizonpoint/ Development of more realistic models to address more complicated scenarios (ex. heat adaptation, breed and age differences) AMBIENT ANIMAL NETWORK PRODUCERS RESEARCHER 23
AMBIENT ANIMAL THERMAL AID PRODUCERS RESEARCHER BIG CHALLENGE: GETTING USEFUL WEATHER INFORMATION FROM AROUND THE WORLD CONFINED DAIRY 24
MODULES FOR AIR TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY (Easy Solution) WIRELESS TRANSMISSION TO SMARTPHONE High School College STUDENTS PRODUCERS RESEARCH & EDUCATION THERMALAID THERMALNET APP DEVELOPMENT GRANTS & SPONSORS DEVICE CONSTRUCTION (HQ Inc.) 25
NEXT CHALLENGES: A TON OF INFORMATION REQUIRING SOME MANUAL ENTRY 41 Pasture Study - 2002 Intraperitoneal STILL A QUESTION OF HOW TO WORK WITH THIS DATA Core Temperature (C) 40 39 38 37 Ruminal 36 50 Ambient Temperature (C) 40 30 20 10 Air Black Globe 0 5 15 25 35 45 55 65 Time (days) 26
ANIMAL TEMPERATURE SENSORS (Bigger Challenge) WIRELESS TRANSMISSION TO SMARTPHONE High School College STUDENTS PRODUCERS RESEARCH & EDUCATION THERMALAID THERMALNET APP DEVELOPMENT GRANTS & SPONSORS DEVICE CONSTRUCTION (HQ Inc.) A NETWORK OF ADVISORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD EXTENSION IN A SMARTPHONE 27
CONCLUSIONS High School College STUDENTS PRODUCERS RESEARCH & EDUCATION THERMALAID THERMALNET APP DEVELOPMENT GRANTS & SPONSORS DEVICE CONSTRUCTION (HQ Inc.) CONCLUSIONS: 1. A Smartphone App (THERMALAID) has been developed that > immediate information > ambient conditions + ability to enter specific animal information - later retrieval. 2. A website (THERMALNET) - provides user with more up-to-date information on heat stress + solutions for relief. Also provides - forum for information exchange. 28
ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES: 1. World-wide weather input is needed - air temperature + humidity at specific locations. 2. App must be fully developed for automatic data entry + retrieval. 3. Teams - needed to gather the information + provide feedback. 29