Heat stress is a major welfare and productivity problem in cattle, with inadequate shade access causing suffering, immune suppression, reproductive failure, and death in extreme conditions.
Heat stress in cattle is preventable with adequate infrastructure, yet millions of feedlot and pasture cattle lack sufficient shade or cooling. During extreme heat events, cattle without shade experience hours of physiological stress that can culminate in death. Even non-lethal heat stress impairs immune function, reproduction, and behavior. Providing shade structures, increasing water access, and using sprinkler systems represents sound investment that simultaneously improves welfare and prevents productivity losses. Climate change will make heat stress management increasingly important for cattle welfare globally.