Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of heat stress events in commercial poultry housing, causing mortality and welfare deterioration in affected flocks.
Heat stress in commercial poultry is a growing welfare emergency driven by climate change. Birds housed at high stocking densities in large sheds are particularly vulnerable because the combined metabolic heat production of thousands of birds overwhelms ventilation systems during hot weather. The welfare consequences escalate from reduced productivity through increasing distress to mass mortality in severe events. Broilers and broiler breeders are especially vulnerable because their metabolic rate is high and their respiratory capacity is often compromised by their growth trajectory. Proactive investment in cooling infrastructure, lower stocking densities during heat risk periods, and emergency planning are increasingly essential welfare management tools.