Farmed Animals

Livestock Welfare During Heat Stress

Climate change is intensifying heat stress in farmed animals, causing reduced production, disease, and death in millions of animals annually.

Key Facts

Dairy cows experience significant production loss and health decline above 25 degrees C
Pigs are unable to sweat and are highly vulnerable to heat stress
Poultry in intensive systems can die in large numbers during heatwaves
Heat stress costs the US livestock industry over 2 billion dollars annually
Climate change is projected to significantly increase the frequency and severity of heat events

Welfare Considerations

Heat stress causes genuine suffering in farmed animals — panting, elevated body temperature, and physiological distress. Animals in intensive confinement systems have no ability to seek shade or cool surfaces. As climate change intensifies, heat stress welfare impacts will grow. Housing design, ventilation, cooling systems, and stocking density reduction are welfare interventions with increasing urgency.

What You Can Do

Support farm animal welfare standards that require heat mitigation infrastructure
Advocate for stocking density limits that allow animals to thermoregulate
Choose animal products from farms with documented heat stress management plans
Support research into heat-resilient livestock breeds as a climate adaptation strategy
Reduce meat consumption to lower the number of animals exposed to heat stress conditions