Heat stress in dairy and beef cattle causes significant welfare harm and production losses, with management strategies that protect animal welfare also improving farm efficiency.
Cattle heat stress welfare requires management that takes seriously the physiological distress that cattle experience during hot weather. A dairy cow with elevated body temperature, reduced feed intake, and impaired reproduction is suffering measurably. The panting that owners observe is the visible tip of a physiological iceberg including metabolic acidosis, immune suppression, and hormonal disruption. The good news is that heat stress is manageable: shade, ventilation, sprinkler cooling, and timing of activity to cooler parts of the day substantially reduce heat stress impact. These management approaches have dual welfare and economic returns because heat-stressed cows produce less milk and have reduced reproductive efficiency.