Heat stress in sheep is a big problem in Australia. Exposure to high temperatures can compromise reproductive health, with the farm gate cost as a result of reduced reproduction rate estimated at $168 million per year. In the absence of tools to mitigate this impact, future climate scenarios are likely to make it worse. 

Drew Radford speaks to Associate Professor Will van Wettere, Dr Jamee Daly and PhD student Bobbie Lewis Baida from the University of Adelaide, along with Dr Alice Weaver from the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), about their important research into mitigating the impact of heat stress in sheep, with the aim to improve weaning rates. 

The SA Drought Hub is facilitating work on adoption of practical methods for sheep producers to enhance sheep resilience to heat stress.