Livestock Heat Stress and Climate Adaptation

Climate change is increasing livestock heat stress globally, creating growing welfare challenges requiring proactive adaptation measures.

Key Facts

Heat stress causes significant welfare harms including increased respiration, reduced feed intake and hyperthermia
Dairy cows begin experiencing heat stress above approximately 25 degrees C depending on humidity
Broiler mortality increases significantly during heat waves even in temperate countries
Climate projections show substantial increases in heat wave frequency and duration in Europe
Sprinkler and fan cooling systems in housed livestock reduce heat stress significantly
Livestock breed selection for heat tolerance is a longer-term adaptation strategy
Housing ventilation systems increasingly require upgrades to meet future climate conditions

Welfare Considerations

Climate change is transforming livestock welfare risk profiles across temperate and tropical regions. Farmers and welfare systems designed for historical climates face increasing welfare challenges as heat waves intensify. Proactive adaptation through housing upgrades, cooling systems and breed selection is needed now. Waiting for regulatory requirements to drive change will leave animals suffering during increasingly frequent heat events.

What You Can Do

Support agricultural adaptation funding that includes livestock welfare heat stress management
Choose products from certified farms demonstrating proactive heat stress management
Advocate for climate adaptation requirements in welfare assurance standards
Support research into heat-tolerant breeds and welfare-positive adaptation strategies