Climate change is intensifying heat stress in dairy cattle, causing significant welfare impacts that require management adaptation.
Heat stress in dairy cattle is a significant welfare issue that is increasing as climate warms. Affected cows experience hyperthermia, respiratory distress, reduced feed intake, and impaired reproduction. The welfare impact is systemic — heat stress causes immune suppression, gut dysfunction, and reproductive failure. As global temperatures rise, farms without cooling infrastructure will expose cows to increasing welfare harms. Proactive investment in cooling systems is both welfare-positive and economically protective.