Heat stress is one of the most significant and growing welfare challenges in livestock production, causing suffering, production losses, and mortality across all farm species.
Livestock heat stress represents an expanding welfare crisis as climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of heat wave events globally. Animals experiencing heat stress suffer acutely — elevated body temperature, panting, and behavioral changes indicate distress — while chronic mild heat stress impairs immune function, reproduction, and growth over extended periods. The welfare and production consequences of heat stress are aligned: animals that are heat-stressed suffer and produce less, creating economic incentives for heat mitigation that welfare advocates can leverage. But minimum welfare standards must ensure shade, cooling, and water access regardless of production economics, particularly as climatic extremes become more frequent and severe.