Heat stress (HS) represents a significant environmental stressor for small ruminant production occurring during summer season, which affects feed intake, physiological homeostasis, immune function, and overall performance. Nutritional strategies based on functional feed additives, including essential oils (EO), have been proposed to enhance thermotolerance and mitigate the negative effects of HS. This study investigated whether dietary integration of lemon EO, supplied either as free oil or in m