Farmed Poultry Heat Stress: A Growing Welfare Challenge

Rising temperatures from climate change are intensifying heat stress in farmed poultry, with significant welfare consequences for fast-growing broilers and laying hens in poorly ventilated housing.

Key Facts

Poultry are highly susceptible to heat stress — broilers begin showing distress above 32 degrees Celsius
Heat stress causes panting, reduced feed intake, elevated mortality, and immune suppression in affected birds
Evaporative cooling systems significantly reduce heat stress mortality but are not universally installed
Fast-growing broiler breeds with large muscle mass are more susceptible to heat stress than slower-growing alternatives
Climate projections indicate that heat stress events will intensify and extend in duration across major poultry-producing regions

Welfare Considerations

Heat stress in poultry creates acute suffering through respiratory distress, hyperthermia, and circulatory failure. Fast-growing broiler breeds with high metabolic rates and large muscle mass are particularly vulnerable because they generate more body heat and have less ability to thermoregulate effectively. As climate warming intensifies, heat stress events that currently cause periodic mortality spikes will become more frequent and severe. Welfare improvements include evaporative cooling installation, ventilation upgrades, reduced stocking density in summer, and transitioning to slower-growing breeds with better thermoregulatory capacity — changes that address both immediate welfare needs and long-term climate resilience.

What You Can Do

Choose chicken from slower-growing breeds that have better heat tolerance than fast-growing commercial strains
Support welfare certification schemes that require heat stress prevention measures in poultry housing
Advocate for building standard updates that require cooling provision in commercial poultry houses
Reduce poultry consumption to lower demand on production systems increasingly stressed by climate warming