This study was designed to evaluate the protective effects of turmeric rhizome powder (TRP) against the harmful effects of heat stress (HS) on some biochemical parameters and antioxidant status. Four groups were formed entirely from 72 one-day-old chicks with an initial body weight average of 45.0±3.0 g, including the basal diet: TNC: no supplements were added to the diet (control group); TN-TRP: 300 g TRP /100 kg of feed was supplemented; HS-control: no supplements were added, and the birds were exposed to heat stress; and HS-TRP: 300 g TRP/100 kg of diet was supplemented and the birds were exposed to heat stress) for 35 days. Heat stress groups were subjected to thermal stress (40.0± 5.0 ˚C) for 8 hours per day from the 21st day to the end of the experiment. At the end of the trial, four healthy birds were randomly selected from each group and slaughtered for sampling and analysis. The serum total protein, albumin, ALT, AST, uric acid, and urea were significantly decreased by the dietary TRP when compared with the HS-control group while creatinine was not affected significantly. The serum total lipid and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly dropped but catalase enzyme activity increased. The gene expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR-α), glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α), and superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1) were significantly increased by TRP addition. The results suggest that a TRP-supplemented diet affected some biochemical parameters and improved the antioxidant status and expression of studied genes.

The current study was designed to investigate the impacts of heat stress (HS) on performance parameters of broiler chicken reared at different stocking densities, also study assessed the effects of anti-stress (vitamin) supplementation in the mitigation of different levels of stress. A total of 720 7th-day-old Cobb ® chicks were randomly distributed into 18 groups, (two replicates within each group). The experiment with a factorial arrangement of treatments (3x3x2), 3 levels of stocking densities (RSD: 10 chicks/m2, MSD: 14 chicks/m2, and HSD: 18 chicks/m2), 2 levels of vitamin supplementation (0 mg/l and combination of 250 mg/l ascorbic acid plus 0.5 ml/l Vit E + Se) and three temperatures (Thermoneutral temperature (TN), sudden chronic heat stress exposure (CHS) and gradual chronic heat stress exposure). Broilers were kept either under thermoneutral conditions (24 ± 1 ºC) during the whole life period or slowly introduced to CHS from 7th to 21st d of age and kept at high temperature thereafter and the third chamber had chicks that were exposed to CHS (32 ± 2 ºC for 8 h/day) during the period from 21st: 42nd day of age. Chicks were reared on a deep litter system and had free access to feed and water. Performance parameters (FI, BW, BWG, and FCR) were determined on the 42nd day of age. The results showed HSD had adverse effects on the growth performance of broilers reared under thermoneutral or CHS conditions where the differences between densities were significant (P<0.05) under TN and sudden CHS conditions and insignificant in case of gradual CHS exposure conditions for most of the performance parameters. Vitamins supplementation had improved growth performance (BW and FCR) of broilers kept under MSD or HSD and exposed to thermoneutral or sudden CHS conditions as compared to corresponding not supplemented birds. While it was effective in combating the adverse effects of gradual HS exposure in RSD and MSD kept broilers only. In addition, there was no significant difference between RSD not supplemented broilers and MSD-supplemented birds under TN conditions; concluding that broilers can be stocked at MSD under thermoneutral conditions if they were supplemented with vitamins.

Goats' health, productivity, and behavior are drastically altered during heat stress. Heat dissipation methods become inadequate when environmental temperatures exceed an animal's internal body temperature. Recently there has been increasingly interested in strategies to reduce thermal stress on livestock. Sprinklers may help reduce accumulated heat and improve goat heat dissipation. Ten indigenous adult dry does were randomly assigned to two treatment groups, the non-cooling group as a control and the treatment group with two sprinkler and fans cooling systems. Feed and water consumption, breathing rate, rectal, external, and ambient temperatures, and relative humidity were recorded daily. For two weeks of the investigation, body weight was recorded once a week. The results showed that the control group consumed more water, and the ratio of water drunk/ dry matter intake tended to be higher than the treatment counterparts. Neither group showed significant differences in dry matter intake. Respiratory rates were greater in the control group compared to the treatment counterpart. Despite the marked difference between climatic conditions of both groups' rooms, no significant difference in rectal body temperatures was found. The temperatures of the eyes and legs were not significantly different in either group. In contrast, the calculated correlation between the rectal temperature with the highest value was found for the negative relation with rump and neck temperature. In conclusion, spraying goats and continual air movement under dry weather alleviate heat stress and improves goat welfare.