Heat stress in poultry is closely linked to temperature-humidity index (THI). A THI-based early warning model enables farms to act before birds suffer.

The model defines four risk levels: THI < 74 (safe), 74–78 (caution), 79–83 (danger), and > 83 (emergency). Each threshold triggers specific actions—from increasing ventilation to activating cooling pads and adjusting feed schedules.

Field application on 20,000-bird houses showed that using graded alerts reduced heat-related mortality by 25–30% and improved feed intake during hot spells. The system integrates with standard environmental controllers and requires only temperature and humidity sensors.

This practical, low-cost tool turns climate data into actionable farm decisions, making it valuable for tropical and subtropical regions.

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