Livestock Stress

Mississippi’s agricultural industry also includes dairy cattle, chickens, and hogs. Many animals do not have sweat glands; they cannot cool themselves through the evaporation of sweat on their skin. Instead, animals will try and wade in the water or breathe heavily (also called panting) to release added heat in their bodies. When animals are under heat stress, they can stop eating, decrease in weight, stop milk or egg production, and may not be able to reproduce.

Heat Stress is calculated using:

• wind
• temperature
• humidity
• solar radiation

You can download this mobile app from USDA to monitor local livestock heat stress or check today's forecasted maps here at USDA.gov.