By Ulli Vanguard, Policy & Public Affairs Manager, British Poultry Council
The high poultry mortality associated with the exceptional temperatures of July 2022 was a serious event and a clear warning for the industry. It prompted a fundamental review of how extreme heat is anticipated and managed. Since then, the sector has been on a journey to improve its resilience, recognising that changing weather patterns require continuing investment, learning and adaptation. It is clear that the industry must remain vigilant and prepared for any further high temperatures this summer.
A central part of the response has been significant investment in poultry-house cooling, particularly misting systems. Producers have also invested in additional fans, improved air inlets, environmental monitoring, high-temperature alarms, more resilient water supplies and back-up power. Together, these measures improve air movement, support earlier intervention and give farm teams greater control during periods of excessive heat.
This investment has been accompanied by a robust protocol for assessing risk farm by farm – and, where necessary, shed by shed. Assessments consider building design, ventilation and cooling capacity, location, bird type and weight, stocking density, water availability, staffing, and forecast temperature and humidity. They allow higher-risk sites to be identified in advance and appropriate mitigation to be put in place.
The extreme heat experienced in 2026 has provided an important real-world test of these measures. It has helped the industry identify what works well, including early activation of misting and ventilation, close monitoring of shed conditions, clear escalation procedures and effective coordination between farms, catching teams, hauliers and processors.
It has also shown where further improvement is required. Cooling capacity and building performance are not yet uniform across the farm base, while the effectiveness of misting depends on ventilation, humidity, maintenance and timely operation. The latest heatwave has reinforced the need to continue upgrading older or higher-risk sheds, refine intervention trigger points and test contingency plans before temperatures rise.
Alongside these immediate lessons, the industry is developing a longer-term response to climate change. New poultry buildings and major refurbishments will increasingly need to be designed for a wider range of climatic conditions than those experienced historically in the UK. This means considering insulation, air movement, water and power resilience, building orientation and future cooling capacity as parts of an integrated system.
The sector is examining new and emerging technologies, including intelligent environmental controls, improved sensors, predictive monitoring and thermal modelling. Dedicated evaporative-cooling systems, including cooling pads used with tunnel ventilation, are principally a future option for the UK industry rather than a measure already in widespread use. Their suitability, effectiveness and resource requirements will need careful evaluation under British conditions.
There is value in learning from poultry industries in naturally hotter countries, where high-capacity ventilation and evaporative cooling are well established. Those systems cannot simply be copied: UK humidity, building types, water availability and production arrangements must be considered. Nevertheless, international experience offers proven ideas that can be tested and adapted as the industry plans for a warmer climate.
Delivering farms that are fit for the future will also require a planning system that enables timely investment. Planning reform is an important gateway to replacing outdated buildings and installing modern ventilation, cooling, energy and water infrastructure. A predictable, proportionate system – while maintaining appropriate environmental safeguards – would allow welfare and climate-resilience improvements to be delivered more quickly.
This should be considered in the wider context of critical national infrastructure. A secure domestic food supply depends on resilient farms, processing capacity, energy, water, transport and communications. Poultry is an important source of affordable protein, and its ability to withstand extreme weather should form part of national resilience planning. Climate adaptation on farms is therefore not only an animal-welfare or business issue; it is also a food-security issue.
The industry does not claim that the journey is complete or that all risk can be eliminated. Its responsibility is to learn from each event and act on the evidence. The progress made since 2022, the lessons emerging from 2026 and the commitment to longer-term innovation demonstrate a responsible and increasingly systematic approach to protecting poultry and strengthening the resilience of the UK food system.