Climate change is intensifying heat stress across livestock species globally, causing significant welfare impairment and economic losses. Mitigation is both a welfare and production imperative.
Heat stress represents a growing welfare crisis across livestock species as climate change increases temperature extremes in major production regions. The welfare impacts are multi-faceted: heat-stressed animals experience physical discomfort, altered behavior as they seek shade and reduce activity, reduced immune function making them more susceptible to disease, and in severe cases hyperthermia that causes neurological damage and death. Intensive indoor production systems that concentrate large numbers of animals generate additional heat load, compounding environmental temperatures. Welfare-responsible farming requires proactive heat abatement strategies including shade, sprinklers, fans, and feeding timing adjustments. Climate adaptation planning for livestock production must integrate animal welfare alongside productivity and economic considerations.