Heat stress is one of the leading causes of poultry mortality and welfare compromise globally, with climate change increasing its prevalence and severity in commercial flocks.
Poultry heat stress welfare involves both acute crisis events causing mass mortality and chronic suboptimal conditions causing gradual welfare compromise. Acute heat events kill tens of millions of birds globally each year and cause significant suffering before death. Chronic heat stress reduces immune function, increases disease susceptibility, and causes behavioral indicators of discomfort. Well-designed ventilation systems, stocking density management, and housing orientation significantly reduce heat stress risk. As climate change increases ambient temperatures, investment in heat stress prevention infrastructure becomes both a welfare imperative and an economic necessity.