Heat stress is one of the most significant welfare and productivity challenges in cattle farming, causing suffering, reduced immunity, reproductive failure, and death during hot weather events.
Heat stress causes acute suffering in cattle that are physiologically adapted to temperate climates. Modern dairy cows are especially vulnerable because high-yielding metabolism generates significant body heat even before ambient temperature rises. Animals in overcrowded feedlots or without shade access suffer prolonged thermal discomfort during heatwaves. Severe heat stress causes panting so intense it becomes a metabolic burden in itself. Deaths from heat stroke occur in extreme events. Shade, ventilation, sprinklers, and modified feeding schedules dramatically reduce heat stress welfare impact but require investment that not all producers prioritise without regulatory pressure.