Pigs are highly sensitive to temperature extremes, and inadequate thermal management causes significant welfare harm in both hot and cold conditions.
Thermal welfare in pigs requires precise management because their thermoregulatory limitations leave them acutely vulnerable to both heat and cold. Piglets that cannot maintain body temperature die rapidly from hypothermia; growing pigs in hot summer buildings experience chronic heat stress affecting both welfare and productivity. Modern precision livestock farming increasingly incorporates thermal monitoring to detect and respond to temperature-related welfare problems before they escalate to severe harm.