Heat stress impacts on broiler performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Heat stress (HS) is a major problem in poultry business which affects chickens' performance and may trigger large economic losses. This study intends to analyze the impact of HS on broiler chickens' performance compared with those under normal condition. A literature search was performed on PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for studies published in English up to January 17, 2020. Outcomes of body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and mortality were calculated by weighted difference (WMD) or odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 12 studies with 470 broiler chickens were included. HS significantly decreased FI (11 trials: WMD = -97.95, 95% CI: -141.70,-54.20) and BWG (7 trials: WMD=-151.40, 95% CI: -198.59, -104.21) and significantly increased FCR (9 trials: WMD = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.29) and mortality (8 trials: OR = 3.74, 95% CI: 1.39, 10.12) compared with the control. In conclusion, HS significantly affected broiler chickens' BWG, FI, FCR, and mortality, indicating the importance to control housing temperature to avoid unnecessary costs.