Research Information System
12th INTERNATIONAL MAY 19 INNOVATIVE SCIENTIFIC APPROACHES CONGRESS, Samsun, Turkey, 24 - 25 December 2024, pp.352-374, (Full Text)
With the ongoing progression of global warming, heat stress in dairy cows is expected to become increasingly prevalent in the future. In dairy farming, heat stress (HS) poses significant challenges, compromising productivity, animal welfare, and sustainability. Highproducing dairy cows with elevated metabolic demands are particularly susceptible to HS, which reduces their ability to adapt to rising temperatures. Key physiological impacts include reduced feed intake, disrupted insulin and glucose metabolism, impaired mobilization of fat reserves, and negative energy balance (NEB), leading to decreased milk yield and quality, along with health and welfare concerns. Nutritional strategies offer promising solutions to mitigate the adverse effects of HS in dairy cows. Dietary interventions, such as supplementation with fats, amino acids, fibers, minerals, vitamins, microbial additives, water, plant extracts, and enzymes have shown efficacy in supporting energy metabolism, enhancing antioxidant defenses, and improving gut health. Emerging approaches, including the use of propionates and dietary buffers, target specific metabolic pathways to optimize energy utilization and combat oxidative stress. Complementary measures, such as water supplementation, cooling systems, and optimized feeding practices, further alleviate HS effects. Advances in technology, including big data analytics and digitalization, provide opportunities to assess HS impacts and refine intervention strategies. However, these tools must integrate physiological understanding to ensure practical application. Comprehensive knowledge of HS-induced metabolic dynamics and tailored nutritional interventions can enhance resilience, growth performance, milk production, reproduction efficiency, and welfare in dairy cows. Therefore, this review focuses on optimizing existing nutritional approaches, exploring innovative supplements, and evaluating their efficacy under varying heat stress conditions to support sustainable dairy production.