Extreme heat events are increasing in frequency and intensity. Their impact on livestock welfare is severe and will worsen without adaptation. Preparation now reduces future suffering.
Extreme heat welfare failures in livestock are both predictable and preventable. The combination of industrial housing density, limited ventilation, and rising ambient temperatures creates conditions where a single extreme heat event can kill thousands of animals in hours. Poultry in metal-roofed houses experience radiant heat loading that dramatically exceeds ambient temperature. Pigs without wallowing access cannot self-cool effectively. Dairy cattle in crowded barns without sprinkler systems are among the most vulnerable. The planning and investment required to harden livestock facilities against extreme heat is substantial but tractable. The welfare cost of failing to act — animals experiencing heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and death during increasingly frequent extreme events — compounds annually.