Outdoor pig systems in summer require specific welfare management to prevent heat stress, sunburn, and associated problems in animals with limited thermoregulation capacity.
Summer welfare management for outdoor pigs involves understanding and accommodating their unusual thermoregulation biology. Unlike other livestock, pigs rely primarily on wallow-based evaporative cooling - restricting wallow access in high temperatures causes rapid welfare deterioration including hyperthermia and distress. Sunburn in pink-skinned breeds causes painful skin lesions with welfare and health consequences. The welfare advantage of outdoor systems in winter and spring - freedom of movement, rooting opportunity, and natural behavior expression - can be reversed in summer without appropriate heat management infrastructure. Outdoor pig production certification should include mandatory wallow provision and shade standards.