Livestock Heat Stress: Climate Change and Farm Animal Welfare

Rising temperatures due to climate change are increasing heat stress in livestock globally. This directly harms animal welfare and reduces productivity, creating urgency for adaptation.

Key Facts

Cattle experience heat stress above 25 degrees Celsius depending on humidity levels
Heat stress reduces feed intake, milk production, and reproductive performance in cattle by 10-35%
Climate change is projected to make current heat stress conditions 50-100 times more frequent by 2100
Poultry are particularly vulnerable to heat stress — broiler mortality in heat events can reach 10% or more
Sheep and pigs also suffer significant welfare impacts during summer heat waves
Shade, ventilation, wallows, and water provision can substantially reduce heat stress impact

Welfare Considerations

Heat stress causes measurable suffering in livestock including reduced mobility, panting, elevated body temperature, and in severe cases, heat stroke and death. Intensive livestock buildings without adequate ventilation become lethally hot during heat waves — fan failures during summer heat have caused mass mortality events in pig and poultry units. Dairy cows in heat stress show altered behaviour, reduced lying time, and physiological stress markers equivalent to other painful conditions. The interaction of climate change with existing welfare problems in intensive farming means that improving welfare and adapting to climate change are increasingly the same problem.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory heat stress management plans for all commercial livestock operations
Support research into heat-tolerant livestock breeds and low-stress housing design
Choose animal products from producers demonstrating climate adaptation investment
Donate to organisations working on climate resilience and animal welfare simultaneously