Heat stress is a problem in pigs. Why?

Most of us prefer the heat to the cold – but a warm and humid summer’s day can also be really uncomfortable as you just feel drowsy and often lose your appetite. Mostly you just want to sit in the shade and drink something refreshing. Not surprisingly, pigs feel this way too. Over a longer period of time hot weather can cause significant problems for pigs and especially sows – and for you as a farmer too.

Pigs are not very skilled when it comes to cooling their body, because they are only able to cool themselves via respiration, as they are not able to sweat. When the ideal temperature for pigs exceeds the interval known as their comfort temperature, the pig’s body undergo physiological changes. If the air humidity is very high, heat stress occurs at relatively low temperatures.

Among the biggest consequences of the physiological changes is the negative impact on metabolism, which means that the feed intake decreases and, as a result, productivity too. This is a big problem when it comes to nursing sows. They need to be able to produce enough milk for their litters, which becomes a lot harder if they suffer from reduced feed intake due to heat stress.
For piglets and growing-finishing pigs, heat stress results in less feed intake, which penalizes growth and feed to gain ratio. For boars, heat stress induces a decrease in semen quality. Watch out for your fertility performance.

These are the symptoms of heat stress in pigs – take notice!

The one big thing to take notice of when it comes to heat stress in pigs is the feed intake. You have to make sure that it remains consistent. And if there is a sudden change and it coincides with a higher temperature in the stables (above 24 degrees Celsius) it might be a case of heat stress.

Heatstress_pigs

Figur - RESPONSE OF PIGS IN HEAT STRESS

Advice on heat stress

Heat stress means among other things an increased loss of electrolytes from the body. Similarly, the level of oxidative substances increases, and the effectiveness of the enzymes that break down these substances fall. The body's energy metabolism is regulated by the heat-sensitive enzymes as well. Therefore, it can be very helpful to find a way to introduces electrolytes into the pigs’ feed.

There are several important steps and countermeasures that you can focus on and implement in order to avoid the problems of heat stress in you herd:

Check ventilation and make sure to get as much air through the stable as possible
Use a cooling system
Stocking densities may have to be reduced during hot weather
Water: Provide clean drinking water
Feed: Maintain good feed quality
o Heat stress means among other things an increased loss of electrolytes from the body. Therefore, it can be very helpful to find a way to introduces electrolytes into the pigs’ feed. Summer Comfort can supply that.
o Betaine and antioxidants such as vitamin E counteracts other of the biologic metabolic changes