Maintaining Pig Temperatures in the Summer and Winter Seasons Jacob Hadfield, Jessie Hadfield, and Josh Dallin, Utah State University Lorie Millward, Thanksgiving Point Institute
Utah often faces extreme temperatures in the summer and winter seasons. Due to the adverse weather, it can be difficult to raise pigs. The following fact sheet discusses ways to help pigs adjust to hot and cold temperatures with facilities and management techniques.
quickly into life threatening levels of heat stress (Figure 1). Below are some ways to mitigate heat stress during the summer months. •
The Importance of Temperature Control Because pigs lack sweat glands and a substantial fur hide, summer and winter temperature extremes can affect pigs more than other livestock species (Hines, 2018). When any animal feels uncomfortable, whether too hot or too cold, the risk for sickness, disease, or even death increases. While the major concern is always pig health and welfare, there is also a large economic downfall when pigs are subject to temperature extremes. Lower rate of gains, reduced pregnancy rates, delayed time to estrus, reduced feed efficiency, increased sickness, and death can all have a huge impact on a producer’s bottom line and can result from poor temperature control (Washington State University [WSU] Extension, 2022; Hines, 2018).
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Avoiding the Heat During the summer, most areas in Utah will experience temperatures over 100 F, but due to the arid climate, humidity levels stay low. However, once temperatures exceed 80 F, pigs over 100 pounds can transition
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Increase Water Consumption: Offer pigs twice as much water than usually offered, and offer it more frequently. Use automatic waterers wherever possible to ensure continuous cold water availability (Hines, 2018). Ensure pipes or hoses delivering water to pigs are insulated, buried in the soil, or out of direct sunlight exposure, as pigs will not drink hot water (WSU Extension, 2022). Use Evaporative Cooling: Utilizing misters or sprinklers can help pigs cool off by misting or dripping water on their skin, thus increasing heat loss from their bodies. Mud holes can also help alleviate heat stress, but they can become unsanitary very quickly (WSU Extension, 2022). Handle Pigs During Cooler Weather: Early morning and late at night can be the best time to handle pigs. Handling pigs during the hottest times of the day can lead to heat stress problems quickly (Hines, 2018). Monitor Pigs’ Behavior: During the heat of the summer, monitoring pig feed intake, water consumption, activity level (cooler parts of the day), and general behavior can identify pigs