Pigs and Hot Weather Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Pigs are highly susceptible to heat stress — they cannot sweat and rely on panting and behavioral thermoregulation — making summer welfare a critical management challenge in intensive production.

Key Facts

Pigs cannot sweat through their skin; they cool themselves by panting and wallowing in water or mud
Heat stress begins in pigs at approximately 25 degrees Celsius and becomes severe above 30 degrees
Heat-stressed pigs show reduced feed intake, growth, and reproductive performance
Gestating sows under heat stress have smaller litters with lower birth weights
Wet cooling systems, shade, and reduced stocking density are effective heat mitigation tools
Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of summer heat events in major pig-producing regions

Welfare Considerations

Heat stress in pigs is both a welfare emergency and a production problem — but the welfare dimension receives less attention than the productivity impact. Pigs experiencing severe heat stress pant continuously, show behavioral agitation, and in extreme cases suffer heat stroke with rapid physiological deterioration. The welfare problem is worsening as climate change increases summer temperatures in key production regions. Effective mitigation requires structural investment in cooling systems, shade provision, and stocking density management. These investments also protect producer income, making the business case for welfare improvement unusually clear.

What You Can Do

Support welfare certification standards that include heat stress management requirements
Advocate for cooling system requirements in pig housing in high-temperature regions
Choose pork from farms with documented heat stress prevention protocols
Support research into climate-adaptive pig housing design
Engage food companies about their supply chain heat stress management policies