Effects of temperature on: (a) Brooding of chicks: (1) Temperature of 35 - 39°C provide warmth for the chicks. (2) Temperature range of 35 - 39°C leads to proper development. (3) Moderate/Ideal temperature makes them to spread evenly and feed well. (4) High temperature makes chicks to pant and move away and sit with their mouth open. (5) Low temperature leads to hurdling together which may lead to suffocation and death. (6) High temperature, leads to poor feather development. (7) High temperature leads to pecking. (8) Greater susceptibility to diseases at both high and low temperature conditions. (9) Both high and low temperature lead to retarded growth. (10) Both high and low temperature lead to poor feed efficiency/utilization.
(b) Reproduction in livestock: (1) High temperature/heat stress causes abortion in farm animals. (2) High temperature leads to low rate of conception. (3) High temperature decreases ovulation leading to low reproductive capacity. (4) Egg production is drastically reduced at extremes of temperatures. (5) High temperature can reduce spermatogenesis of male animals. (6) High temperature can reduce sexual activities in farm animal.
(c) Milk production: (1) Milk spoilage occurs at a temperature of 37°C. (2) Pathogenic bacteria in milk are destroyed when milk is subjected to a high temperature of about 74°C (pasteurisation). (3) High temperature causes heat stress thus reducing milk production. (4) Extremes of temperature affect feed intake leading to low milk production. (5) Physiological processes are retarded at extremes of temperature leading to low milk production.
(d) Egg production: (1) High temperature causes heat stress thus reducing the egg production (2) Low temperature leads to decrease in feed efficiency leading to a low egg production. (3) At high temperature feed intake decreases leading to low egg production. (4) At high temperature, fertility and hatchability in breeder birds decrease. (5) Extreme temperature leads to decrease in egg quality. (6) Ideal/moderate temperature leads to better egg production.