Outdoor pig production in summer requires active management of heat stress and parasite burden to maintain welfare in free-range systems.
Outdoor pig summer welfare demonstrates that free-range systems require active management to maintain welfare advantages over indoor systems during challenging seasonal conditions. The welfare benefits of outdoor production - space, enrichment, social complexity, natural behavior expression - can be negated if heat stress management is inadequate. Wallowing is not merely a behavioral preference for pigs but a physiological necessity - without wallowing, pigs cannot thermoregulate effectively. Well-managed outdoor systems with adequate shade, wallowing facilities, and parasite control achieve substantially better welfare outcomes than indoor systems throughout the year.