High Heat Prompts Livestock Safeguards Across Kentucky

Jul 04, 2025

By Jordan Strickler

An unseasonably intense heat dome has settled over Kentucky, sending afternoon highs into the mid-90s and pushing the livestock heat-stress index into dangerous — and at times emergency — levels.

Specialists go by what is called the “livestock heat stress index” to determine the level of concern farmers and pet owners should have for their animals. When the index reaches danger and emergency levels in the spring and summer, University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment experts urge people to take certain precautions to ensure the safety and health of their animals.

The livestock heat-stress index blends air temperature and humidity to gauge how hard animals must work to shed body heat. Readings in the danger range reduce feed intake and fertility; emergency readings can cause respiratory distress or death.

Source : uky.edu

Video: How Data Predicts Swine Outbreaks - Swaminathan Jayaraman

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Swaminathan Jayaraman, Research Assistant and PhD Candidate at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, explains how integrated data systems can improve disease surveillance in swine production. He discusses combining diagnostics, animal movement data, production records, and spatial analytics to identify risks earlier and support proactive decision-making for PRRS, PED, and swine influenza. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Disease surveillance remains largely reactive because outbreaks are often confirmed only after transmission has already occurred across multiple connected production sites."

Meet the guest: Swaminathan Jayaraman / swamjay is a Graduate Research Assistant at Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine. With academic training in management information systems and engineering, he focuses on integrating diagnostic, production, and movement data to improve disease surveillance and decision support in swine production systems. Listen to Swaminathan Jayaraman on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.