Heatwaves, cold snaps and flooding are increasing in frequency and severity, posing new welfare challenges for farm animals that require proactive management.
Extreme weather events create acute welfare crises that overwhelm routine farm management systems. The 2022 heatwave demonstrated that intensive poultry facilities lack adequate heat mitigation capacity for temperatures that will become more frequent under climate change. Flooding events expose the vulnerability of low-lying livestock to drowning and prolonged distress. Proactive climate adaptation - improved ventilation, flood risk mapping, shelter provision and emergency response planning - is a welfare imperative.