Heat stress is a serious welfare and productivity problem in dairy farming. Understanding its impacts and evidence-based mitigation strategies improves cow welfare.
Heat stress is genuinely unpleasant for dairy cows — it causes physiological distress, behavioral changes including reduced lying time and increased water seeking, and elevated cortisol. Chronic heat stress suppresses immune function, increasing disease susceptibility and reducing welfare further. The economic impact of heat stress aligns with the welfare case for mitigation: both point toward investment in cooling infrastructure. Farms with effective heat abatement systems provide measurably better welfare during warm months.