Winter welfare for farm animals requires specific provisions that are often inadequate in practice.
Cold stress in livestock is a significant welfare problem that receives less attention than heat stress despite its seasonal regularity. Neonatal cold stress is especially severe — lambs and calves born outdoors in cold weather without adequate shelter face rapid hypothermia and death. Dairy cows in cold conditions increase feed intake to maintain body temperature, creating nutritional challenges. Frozen water sources cause dehydration. Simple interventions — windbreaks, bedding, water heaters, and monitoring during cold snaps — dramatically reduce cold stress welfare impacts.