Heat stress and poultry: adaptation to climate change, challenges and opportunities for genetic breeding in Kenya

Abstract

Climate change presents challenges such as heat stress and disease outbreaks in the poultry sector. This in turn leads to changes in poultry husbandry such as housing, health care and feeding regime. Modification of the environment in poultry production systems, can cushion exposure and compensate for losses in poultry fitness in heat stressed environments. Some of the modifications that can be used in poultry to reduce excess heat loads include use of shade, sprinkling cold water on their bodies and adjusting diets to reduce metabolic heat production. Indigenous poultry have a high genetic diversity which is vital for adaptation to climate change and for the continual genetic improvement of adaptive traits such as heat stress-tolerance.

The objective of this paper is to review various methods that can be adapted for poultry survival in heat stressed environments. It also highlights the challenges and opportunities for genetic breeding in poultry.

Key words: Adaptive traits, Climate-smart, Horn of Africa, Indigenous poultry, Thermotolerance