Pigs are highly sensitive to both heat and cold, yet commercial pig farming often fails to maintain thermal comfort, causing significant heat stress in summer and cold stress in young piglets in poorly insulated facilities.
Thermal comfort is a fundamental component of pig welfare and one that is routinely compromised in commercial production. Sows in gestation crates with no ability to move or seek shade have no behavioral options for managing heat stress beyond panting. Piglets born in inadequately heated areas suffer from cold stress that suppresses immunity and increases mortality from diarrhea and other infections. As climate change increases the frequency of extreme heat events, the welfare costs of inadequate temperature management in pig facilities will only increase.