Heat stress is one of the most significant welfare threats to commercial poultry, causing suffering, mortality, and production losses. Climate change is intensifying this challenge.
Heat stress in poultry represents both an acute welfare emergency during extreme events and a chronic welfare challenge in warmer climates and seasons. The combination of high stocking densities, high metabolic rates, and inadequate ventilation creates conditions where birds are in sustained thermal distress — panting, huddling near water, and losing productive capacity. Climate change is pushing this challenge into higher latitudes and more frequent extremes. The selection for rapid growth that drives commercial poultry production has inadvertently increased heat susceptibility — fast-growing birds generate more metabolic heat than slower-growing alternatives. Welfare improvements that address heat stress — better ventilation, evaporative cooling, reduced density during heat events, and breed selection for heat tolerance — overlap significantly with production benefits, creating economic alignment with welfare investment.