Heat stress in dairy cattle causes significant welfare impacts and production losses, with a range of management and engineering solutions available.
Heat stress causes physiological and behavioural changes including increased respiration, reduced lying time, and decreased feed intake that together impair health and welfare significantly. Prolonged heat stress suppresses immune function and reduces fertility rates with welfare consequences extending beyond the acute hot period. Investment in cooling infrastructure — fans, sprinklers, shade — provides measurable welfare improvements and typically pays back through production benefits within one to two seasons.