A severe heatwave in France has killed hundreds of thousands of poultry, overwhelming carcass collection systems and raising fresh concerns about the growing impact of extreme weather on livestock farming, food production and animal welfare.
According to a Reuters report from Saint-Andre-Goule-d’Oie in western France, agricultural organisations said the extreme heat had caused large-scale poultry deaths across indoor and outdoor farms. The deaths were reported as Western Europe faced a record heatwave that also disrupted schools, power supplies and agricultural operations.
The impact has been especially severe in Brittany and Pays de la Loire, France’s two largest poultry-producing regions. Together, the regions account for nearly 60 per cent of the country’s poultry flock. France is the European Union’s third-largest poultry producer after Poland and Spain.
Yann Nedelec, head of the French poultry industry group ANVOL, estimated that at least several hundred thousand birds had died, although officials said it was too early to give a precise figure.
The Chambers of Agriculture of Brittany and Pays de la Loire warned of “massive” poultry deaths as temperatures placed extraordinary stress on birds. Poultry are highly vulnerable to heat stress because they have limited ability to regulate body temperature, especially during prolonged periods of high heat and poor ventilation.
One chicken farmer in Pays de la Loire told Reuters he had lost about 700 chickens over just a few days, compared with the normal daily loss of one or two birds. Farmers said both people and animals were struggling under the extreme conditions.
The scale of the deaths has created another challenge: disposal of carcasses. Dead animals are normally collected and sent for rendering, but Reuters reported that the volumes had become too large for existing collection services to handle quickly.
Farmers have been advised to use sawdust or wood shavings over carcasses to absorb liquids while they wait for collection. Authorities are also considering allowing on-farm burial in affected areas, subject to technical and environmental checks.
The crisis is not limited to poultry farms. Dairy farmers in western France are also reporting the effects of heat stress on cattle. High temperatures can reduce feed intake, increase water demand and lower milk output.
A dairy farmer near Angers told Reuters that his cows had gathered under ventilation points for days as fans ran continuously. He said milk production had fallen by around 15 to 20 per cent as the animals struggled to cope with the heat.
The developments highlight the increasing pressure that extreme heat is placing on European agriculture. Livestock systems that were once considered adequate for seasonal weather patterns are now being tested by more frequent and intense heat events.
For poultry producers, the deaths raise urgent questions about farm ventilation, cooling systems, emergency response planning, flock density, water availability and the financial resilience of farms facing climate-related losses.
The French poultry sector is already a major part of the European food supply chain, and any prolonged disruption could affect production planning, farm economics and animal welfare policies.
Agricultural experts have repeatedly warned that climate adaptation will become increasingly important for poultry and livestock producers, particularly in regions facing hotter summers. Investments in improved housing, heat monitoring, backup power, cooling infrastructure and early warning systems may become essential for reducing future losses. The French heatwave has therefore become more than a short-term farming emergency. It is a warning sign for livestock industries globally, including poultry-producing countries where high temperatures, power constraints and limited farm cooling infrastructure can create serious risks for animal health and food security.
