The Problem: Summer Heat Hurts Pigs and Profits

Every summer, swine producers face a frustrating and expensive problem: carcass weights drop by an average of 6 to 12 pounds per pig, primarily due to heat stress. That might sound manageable until you add it up. The estimated annual industry loss is a staggering $450 million (Schieck Boelke, 2024).

The issue isn’t just about temperature. Pigs naturally reduce feed intake when experiencing heat stress to lower metabolic heat production. But many standard feed formulations make the problem worse. Ingredients like corn DDGS, wheat middlings (a byproduct of wheat milling), and corn germ meal commonly used in grow-finish diets reduce feed intake even further. This nutritional “double whammy” limits growth just when pigs should be finishing strong, often during peak market prices in July and August (specify that this is peak US pricing season).

High-energy diets fortified with fat were once a go-to solution, but today’s fat prices make that approach economically infeasible. As a result, nutritionists and producers are looking for alternative ways to maintain summer performance without breaking the feed budget.