Pigs Have Underdeveloped Sweat Glands and Are Prone to Heat Stress: Precautions for Summer Raising

    Summer has arrived. Pigs have underdeveloped sweat glands and a poor ability to regulate body temperature. When the temperature in the pig house reaches 35°C and the humidity exceeds 65%, lasting more than 72 hours, pigs are highly prone to heat stress syndrome, ranging from slow growth and stopped weight gain in mild cases to heatstroke and death in severe cases. Experts have offered several suggestions for farmers on preventing heat and cooling down pigs in summer:

Pig

    1. Shade: Build the pig farm in a well-ventilated, open place, choosing a north-south orientation. Before the high-temperature season arrives, use firewood, grass, branches and the like to build a simple shade awning on the sunny side of the pig house.

    2. Plant greenery: Plant appropriate trees, flowers and grass around the pig house. This not only beautifies and greens the environment, but also blocks sunlight and, through the photosynthesis of plants, absorbs heat and lowers the temperature.

    3. Ventilation: Change the pig house door into a ventilated door, strengthen ventilation and air exchange, remove harmful gases, and ensure air circulation inside the pig house.

    4. Water spraying: When the temperature in the pig house exceeds 30°C, spray water once per hour. Free-range farmers can build a shallow pool in a corner of the pig house and let the pigs soak in it.

    5. Air-conditioning cooling: Installing air conditioning in the pig house not only cools it down but also controls humidity. It is the best heat prevention and cooling measure, but the cost is relatively high.

    6. Add shade nets and heat-insulating films on the roof of the pig house, using the diffuse reflection and scattering of light to reflect sunlight and reduce the severe high temperatures in the pig house caused by direct sunlight.