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Heat-stressed pigs may eat less, grow slower, expert says

Summer heat can reduce pork productivity.

Chuck Woods with KENT Nutrition says heat stress can occur all along the swine production chain.

“Whether you’re trying to keep sows hydrated and eating through, especially in late gestation when those sows, their internal body temperatures can get really hot. We’ve seen it there, we’ve seen it even in finishing pigs.”

He tells Brownfield pigs often act lethargic when suffering from heat stress.

“Pigs will go off of feed, so if we can keep a pig drinking and will get up and get some activity, they’ll have a chance to go to the feeder. So we don’t want a week where a pig just doesn’t grow, I mean our barns in this industry are on a schedule so we’ve got to keep them eating.”

Woods says that’s where a feed additive like HumiSyn can help mitigate stress and boost livability.