Beating the Heat: Protecting Pigs From Heat Stress

Jun 25, 2025

By Beth Ferry and Madonna Benjamin

Managing livestock health, productivity and welfare requires a clear understanding of seasonal variations and the impacts of extreme temperatures. Both hot and cold weather events can negatively affect growth, reproduction and mortality, so it is essential to implement mitigation strategies to reduce economic losses. Heat stress and the effects it has on swine have been documented in scientific literature for many years, with major themes continuing to be management strategies that address performance and alleviate welfare concerns.

The response to adapting to the onset of hot weather differs based on the animal’s previous exposure and tolerance level, genetics, lifecycle phase, and production stage. Pigs are exceedingly affected by heat stress because of the limited number of functional sweat glands and the thick layer of fat under the skin. When the animal experiences heat stress, it compensates for growth, feed efficiency and reproduction efficiencies to diminish the effect of heat stress (reference).

Source : msu.edu

Video: Exploring Precision Data in Swine Production - Dr. Janice Siegford

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show, Dr. Janice Siegford from Michigan State University discusses how precision livestock farming data can support pig health, welfare, transparency, and decision making. She explains why data ownership, privacy, consumer perception, and cost sharing must be addressed as technology becomes more common on farms. Listen now on all major platforms.

“Precision livestock farming data can support producers, veterinarians, certifiers, and consumers by enabling improved monitoring, prediction, and decision-making across the entire production system.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Janice Siegford / janice-siegford-24318839 is a Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University. Her expertise in animal welfare, neuroscience, and zoology supports research on pig behavior, stress resilience, and precision livestock farming. Her work explores early weaning, genetics, and stakeholder perspectives on technology adoption to improve pig care, health, and productivity. Learn more from Dr. Janice Siegford on The Swine it Podcast Show, available on all major platforms.