Climate change is increasing the frequency of heat waves that cause mass mortality events in poultry. Understanding heat stress helps advocates push for better housing design and management.
Heat stress in poultry causes suffering before death — birds pant excessively, lose appetite, drink heavily, and experience organ stress as their body temperature rises. Mass mortality events from heat waves can kill tens of thousands of birds in a single barn within hours. Fast-growing broilers with high metabolic rates are most vulnerable. Poultry housing designed for cool climates without cooling systems is increasingly inadequate in warming regions. Climate-adapted housing design is a welfare imperative that also protects producer economics.