Heat Stress in Poultry: Welfare in a Warming Climate

Heat stress is a significant and growing welfare problem in commercial poultry production, causing suffering and death during hot weather events.

Key Facts

Poultry lack sweat glands and rely on panting and blood shunting to dissipate heat
Broiler mortality during UK heat waves can affect thousands of birds per shed in severe events
Optimal thermal comfort zone for broilers is 18-22 degrees Celsius, well below summer peak temperatures
Tunnel ventilation, evaporative cooling, and reduced stocking density are the primary management interventions
Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of heat stress events in UK poultry production

Welfare Considerations

Heat stress in poultry causes acute suffering through hyperthermia that progresses from panting and prostration to seizure and death in severe cases. Birds that survive heat events may have impaired immune function and reduced growth. The welfare problem is amplified in conventional broiler housing where stocking density is high and ventilation is often inadequate for peak summer temperatures. UK housing standards were designed for a cooler climate than that now being experienced, creating a structural vulnerability to climate change. Proactive investment in cooling infrastructure and management flexibility to reduce stocking density during heat events are the most effective welfare interventions.

What You Can Do

Support poultry welfare standards that include heat stress management requirements
Advocate for climate-adaptive design standards for new poultry housing
Choose poultry products from farms with documented heat stress management systems
Learn about how heat stress affects poultry welfare to engage with supply chain partners
Support research into low-cost heat stress mitigation strategies for commercial poultry housing