At Granja Bouzas in Lugo, installing industrial fans and water misters has become a matter of survival for its 110 dairy cows. Owner Miguel Bouzas recalls how heatwaves, before the upgrades, could slash daily milk output by up to 440 liters, quickly eroding the farm’s bottom line. As Galicia faces hotter summers, such investments are becoming standard for the region’s livestock sector, not rare exceptions.
Galician farms, once able to rely on mild Atlantic weather, are being forced to adapt as temperatures regularly climb above 26°C, the threshold at which cows and hens begin to suffer heat stress. For dairy producers, the consequences are immediate: on the hottest days, milk yields can drop by as much as eight liters per cow. The risk depends on more than temperature alone: high humidity can intensify heat stress and its effects on milk production. A 2026 literature review on climate impacts in the UK agri-food sector also links high temperatures to heat stress and poor growth. It reports reduced milk and egg yields, with lower meat production as another potential effect.
Heat also affects animal health and reproduction. Veterinarians such as Mery González from Seragro warn that heat stress disrupts fertility and delays lactation, while raising the risk of lameness and miscarriages. These effects lead up costs and threaten farm viability. Wider European evidence illustrates the potential scale of the productivity challenge: a 2023 model covering 21 Mediterranean locations estimated annual heat-related losses of about 346 to 1,696 liters of milk per cow, depending on the severity of stress. A separate scenario cited by the livestock-sector publication Informatore Zootecnico projected a possible 2.8% decline in European milk production under the most unfavorable climate conditions it examined.
Cooling Becomes Impressive
To counter these risks, more Galician farmers are investing in powerful ventilation and misting systems, along with mobile walls for poultry houses to improve airflow. Luis Vizcaíno, manager at Electrosarria, says demand for farm cooling solutions has surged by 200% in just five years. These systems can lower barn temperatures by up to eight degrees, a critical difference when uncooled sheds can exceed 50°C during heatwaves.
Cooling works best as part of a broader heat-management strategy. Livestock-sector guidance treats the job as a whole-farm effort: building design and ventilation must be considered alongside water availability. Feeding and reproductive plans also need to account for conditions inside the barn. For many, these upgrades are no longer optional. As climate patterns shift, the cost of inaction shows up in lost production and harm to animal welfare, threatening the long-term sustainability of rural livelihoods. The urgency reflects broader challenges facing Spain’s countryside, where adaptation is basic to survival. Stories like that of Fernando, who remains the only resident of his village after years of rural decline, highlight the pressures reshaping agricultural life across the country. (Read about the realities of rural survival in Spain.)
Poultry Farms Adapt Too
The crisis is not limited to cattle. Poultry producers are also reengineering their facilities, adding movable walls and advanced ventilation to protect hens from overheating. The shift is driven by necessity: without intervention, animal stress cuts egg production and raises mortality, adding to economic losses. The climate-impact review likewise identifies reduced egg yields as a potential consequence of high temperatures.
As Galicia’s farmers confront a climate that no longer fits old expectations, adoption of cooling technology is accelerating. Protecting livestock from extreme heat has become a prerequisite for staying in business, alongside planning for the future.
