Heat stress in dairy cattle causes significant production losses and welfare harm, increasingly worsened by climate change.
Heat stress is one of the most widespread welfare problems in dairy farming, causing reduced feed intake, elevated body temperature, immune dysfunction, and reproductive failure. Climate change is intensifying and extending heat stress periods globally. Well-designed heat abatement systems (shade, ventilation, cooling) substantially reduce welfare harm. Many farms lack adequate provision, particularly in regions with historically mild climates.