Climate change is intensifying heat stress in livestock, particularly in intensive systems, creating a growing welfare emergency that requires urgent adaptation in farm management.
Heat stress in livestock causes sustained physiological and psychological suffering - it is not merely a productivity problem. Chronically heat-stressed animals experience elevated cortisol, impaired immune function, reduced reproductive performance, and in severe cases, fatal hyperthermia. As UK temperatures rise and extreme heat events become more frequent, indoor intensive systems without adequate ventilation will expose more animals to more severe heat stress. Farm adaptation - shade, cooling, and breed selection - is a welfare imperative, not just an economic one.