Farmed Animals

Poultry in Heat: Management and Welfare

Heat stress in poultry causes suffering and death at frequencies increasing with climate change, requiring structural management responses.

Key Facts

Thermal comfort zone for broilers is 18-22°C — outside this zone welfare and efficiency decline
Panting begins above 25°C and causes respiratory alkalosis affecting blood chemistry
Evaporative cooling systems can reduce effective temperature by 4-8°C in hot climates
Providing shade, cool water, and reduced stocking density reduces mortality by 50% during heat events

Welfare Considerations

Poultry sheds without adequate ventilation become lethal in extreme heat events. The combination of high stocking density, metabolic heat from fast-growing breeds, and external temperatures creates rapid escalation. Mortality events affecting thousands of birds occur within hours of cooling system failure. Investment in redundant cooling systems and heat emergency protocols prevents mass welfare failures.

What You Can Do

Support poultry certification requiring heat emergency protocols and backup cooling systems
Advocate for heat stress management to be included in poultry housing planning requirements
Choose chicken from certified farms with documented temperature monitoring and management
Support research into heat-tolerant breed development as climate adaptation