This review analyses the physiological and productive consequences of heat stress in tropical livestock and evaluates the mitigation strategies. Heat stress is a significant constraint in tropical production systems, where high temperatures, humidity, solar radiation, and variable wind conditions impose thermal loads that exceed animals’ capacity for heat dissipation. With global warming and more frequent heatwaves, high-yielding breeds selected for rapid growth and productivity are becoming increasingly vulnerable, resulting in significant impacts on welfare, health, and economics. Heat stress disrupts metabolic homeostasis, feed consumption, growth and reproductive efficiency. It also compromises product quality and behaviour. In dairy systems, one of the most sensitive indicators is milk yield reduction, with high-producing cows commonly experiencing losses of 10–30% under sustained thermal stress. Physiologically, heat stress induces endocrine imbalances and oxidative stress. These changes impair immune competence and productivity. These effects scale from individuals to herds, influencing food security and the sustainability of tropical livestock systems. Environmental strategies, including shading, ventilation, and evaporative cooling, reduce heat load and improve thermal comfort. Nutritional interventions aimed at enhancing antioxidant status and metabolic resilience, along with genetic selection for thermotolerance, offer additional benefits. Precision livestock farming technologies further support adaptive management through real-time monitoring and data collection, enabling informed decision-making. However, the effectiveness of these strategies depends on species-specific physiology, production intensity, and socio-economic feasibility. To address this, an integrated framework is required to guide future research and the design of cost-effective adaptation strategies in tropical livestock systems.

Heat stress is a key factor affecting the productions of the animals. In laying birds, it could cause loss of body weight and high mortality. To this end, a study was carried out in a naturally ventilated, tier-caged layer house to evaluate the environmental parameters and the heat stress index within the building during hot weather period. Throughout the study, the environmental parameters (air temperature, relative humidity and air velocity), inside and outside the experimental building were measured and recorded. The heat stress index using the temperature-humidity index (THI) was also estimated. The results of the study indicated that laying birds in this study were most of their lifetime subjected to hot conditions which could have a significant effect on their performances. It was also found out that the air velocity within the building was very low (0.07 ms-1 to 0.58 ms1) which could not provide a cool environment for the birds. The heat stress index (THI) inside laying bird building was found to be mostly influenced by high relative humidity compared to ambient temperature. Therefore, it would be appropriate if the airflow distribution inside the poultry building, in this study, could be evaluated using computational fluid dynamics to understand the velocity profile within the building. This could assist engineers to redesign the building and make it appropriate for laying birds in the humid tropical climate.

Poultry production faces significant challenges, including high feed prices, diseases, and thermal stress, which impact broiler welfare and productivity. Despite advances in cooling technologies and ventilation, preslaughter operations still lead to considerable losses. This review highlights the need for the improved management of thermal environments and animal logistics. Preslaughter operations typically involve fasting broilers for 8–12 h to reduce gastrointestinal contents and contamination. Following fasting, broilers are caught, crated, and transported. Stress levels vary based on distance and conditions, with manual catching often causing stress and injuries. Catching should occur during cooler periods to minimise these issues, and transport conditions must be carefully managed. Lairage, the waiting period after transport, should be kept short (1–2 h) in climate-controlled environments to avoid stress and deterioration. Proper handling and efficient unloading are essential to prevent injuries and reduce economic losses. Stunning methods, such as electronarcosis and a controlled atmosphere, aim to minimise suffering before slaughter, though practices vary culturally and religiously. Logistics and real-time monitoring technology are crucial for enhancing animal welfare during transportation. Effective planning and the optimisation of transport processes is vital for reducing stress and losses, especially with regard to rising global temperatures and production demands.

Fruits are produced in large quantities in developing countries because of the favourable climatic conditions but the level of spoilage is high. It is essential to extract and preserve fruit juice to have a regular supply throughout the year. Therefore, it was necessary to develop a machine that could be used to extract juice from several fruits. Thus, the objective of the research work was to develop a multipurpose small scale fruit juice machine that could be adopted by an average farmer in the rural regions to increase their juice intake. A fruit juice extractor was designed, developed and tested. The machine utilised a serrated auger for crushing the fruits before squeezing out the juice. The performance evaluation showed that the machine has an extraction capacity of 88.4 kg h-1 and 84.5 kg h-1 for pineapple and sweet orange respectively. The efficiencies of the juice extractor for pineapple and sweet orange were 91.13% and 85.96% respectively. The average production cost of the machine was estimated as 390 US dollars.

Small scale backyard poultry buildings, which could be of any shape and design, are very important and every household in Nigeria should embrace. However, it is difficult for most households to plan and design appropriate buildings for their poultry birds. This study was carried out to design a building which could allow birds to exhibit their natural behaviours without being exposed to hazards and predators. The building with dimensions 2.8 m long, 2.3 m wide and 1.9 m height at the front and 1.3 m at the back was developed using local materials. The building comprised of resting room and a free space for poultry to exhibit their natural behaviours such as dust bathing, wing flapping and preening. There were perches inside the building were birds could roost at night. The indoor and outdoor climatic conditions (air temperature and air relative humidity) were evaluated. The result of the study showed that the highest mean indoor air temperature (30.60 °C) and highest mean indoor air relative humidity (83.88 %) were obtained in the afternoon and night respectively. The lowest mean indoor air temperature (24.23 °C) and mean indoor air relative humidity (66.64 %) were obtained in the night and afternoon respectively. The building was considered affordable ($280.00) and suitable for poultry grown for egg and meat production in the tropical humid climate.