Heat stress in cattle is a growing welfare and production challenge as climate change increases the frequency and severity of hot weather events in cattle-rearing regions.
Heat stress causes measurable suffering in cattle — elevated respiration, reduced activity, hyperthermia and in severe cases heat exhaustion and death. The physiological stress of hot weather also compromises immune function, making cattle more susceptible to disease. As climate change extends the duration and intensity of heat events in cattle-rearing regions, the welfare impact will grow without proactive adaptation. Shade structures, water access, sprinkler cooling and selective breeding for heat tolerance are all practical interventions. Their provision should be treated as a welfare requirement rather than an economic option — cattle that are heat-stressed are suffering animals, not simply less productive ones.