Heat Stress in Livestock Welfare

How climate change is increasing heat stress burden in farmed animals and what can be done.

Key Facts

Heat stress causes reduced feed intake, production decline, and welfare compromise in cattle, pigs, and poultry
Dairy cows begin experiencing heat stress at 22 degrees C, with high-producing cows at even lower thresholds
Climate change is increasing frequency and severity of heat events in major livestock-producing regions
Shade, ventilation, cooling systems, and timing of feeding and management tasks reduce heat burden
Heat stress during pregnancy causes lasting effects on offspring including reduced birth weight
Dark-coated and high-producing breeds are more susceptible to heat stress than adapted breeds

Welfare Considerations

Heat stress is an underrecognised welfare crisis in livestock that will intensify as climate change increases the frequency and severity of heat events worldwide. Animals experiencing heat stress suffer acutely — seeking shade, reducing activity, panting, and in severe cases developing heat stroke. Chronic mild heat stress, common across much of the global livestock sector during summer months, reduces welfare continuously without producing dramatic visible signs. Adapting livestock systems for a hotter climate requires investment in cooling infrastructure, breed selection, and management changes — all of which protect animal welfare as well as production.

What You Can Do

Advocate for heat stress monitoring and cooling infrastructure as minimum welfare requirements in livestock regulations
Support livestock producers investing in shade, ventilation, and evaporative cooling systems
Engage with climate change policy that addresses the welfare impacts on farmed animals as a specific concern
Support research into heat-tolerant breed selection that reduces heat stress burden without sacrificing other welfare attributes
Raise awareness of heat stress as a welfare issue that requires proactive management, not just response to emergencies