Heat stress in cattle causes significant production losses and welfare harm, a problem intensifying with climate change.
Heat stress causes measurable suffering in dairy cattle — animals in heat stress pant, reduce movement, stand in water sources, and reduce feeding behaviour. Chronic heat stress impairs immune function and increases disease susceptibility. As global temperatures rise, heat stress events are becoming more frequent, more intense, and longer in duration, making management interventions increasingly critical. Shade provision — trees, artificial shade structures — provides cost-effective welfare improvement in outdoor systems. Indoor systems require effective ventilation and cooling. Breeding programmes are beginning to incorporate heat tolerance traits to reduce the population-level vulnerability of high-production dairy breeds.