Ice, fans and cooling pads: How Malaysia’s chicken farmers are beating El Niño heat

Malaysia's chicken farmers are taking steps to combat the extreme heat brought on by the expected development of a strong El Niño towards the end of 2027, with temperatures potentially reaching 40°C. Mohd Muzamri Shoib, a 26-year veteran broiler farmer and chairman of the Selangor Poultry Farmers Association, has installed closed-house poultry buildings equipped with cooling pads and exhaust fans to regulate temperatures.

The cooling pads circulate water from large tanks before air is drawn through and cooled, while exhaust fans remove ammonia and odors.

Professor Datuk Zulkifli Idrus, director of the Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security at Universiti Putra Malaysia, explained that chickens are more vulnerable to heat stress than humans due to their feather-covered bodies, which hinder heat dissipation. Chickens primarily cool themselves through panting and increased blood flow to the skin, combs, and wattles. If the heat persists, chickens can become dehydrated, experience disrupted bodily functions, and, in severe cases, suffer organ failure and death.

Muzamri utilizes a system that allows him to regulate temperature, ventilation, and feeding through controls at the farm, which he plans to upgrade to a smartphone interface for remote monitoring. In particularly intense heat, he purchases ice bags to supplement cooling. His farm features eight water tanks to ensure a constant supply of clean drinking water for the birds, which drink more during hot weather to replace fluids lost through panting.