Livestock Welfare in Extreme Weather Events

Extreme weather events including storms, floods and droughts create acute welfare crises for farmed animals, requiring preparedness and rapid response.

Key Facts

The 2022 European heat wave caused millions of livestock deaths across affected countries
Flooding can trap livestock, cause hypothermia and destroy pasture and fodder supplies
Extreme cold events kill newborns and compromise immunity in young animals
UK Environment Agency flood risk maps allow farmers to identify vulnerable land and plan evacuations
Insurance coverage for livestock mortality from extreme weather varies widely between policies
Emergency welfare protocols including feed and water provision are legally required under UK law
The NFU and RSPCA have developed guidance on emergency livestock welfare management
Climate projections suggest increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events in the UK

Welfare Considerations

Extreme weather events cause acute and prolonged welfare suffering in farm animals. Trapped or isolated animals may go without water for days during floods. Heat events cause thermal stress, respiratory distress and death. Cold events cause hypothermia in young or compromised animals. Farm emergency planning is a welfare obligation, not just a business continuity measure. Farmers require practical support - financial, advisory and infrastructural - to protect animal welfare in increasingly common extreme weather scenarios.

What You Can Do

Support farmer organisations developing emergency welfare response protocols
Advocate for farm climate resilience funding that includes animal welfare components
RSPCA and BDMLR emergency lines should be used to report livestock in welfare crisis during floods
Farmers should develop written emergency plans including evacuation routes for livestock
Support insurance products that cover livestock welfare-related losses from climate events