Summer heat and humidity can present extra challenges when transporting pigs. The Pork Checkoff urges pork producers to take extra precautions to ensure the best possible care and well-being for their animals and employees during periods of high heat and humidity this summer.

Some of the most basic precautions against the heat, such as ensuring fans are working and pigs have access to good air through proper ventilation, are only the first step in preventing animal stress. Adding misters/drippers and cool cells is another safeguard often employed since pigs don’t have sweat glands. However, if using misters, make sure water flow is sufficient to offer effective cooling since increasing relative humidity is counterproductive.

According to Sherrie Webb, the Pork Checkoff’s director of animal welfare, loading and unloading pigs during early morning and late evening hours is highly recommended during periods of extreme heat and humidity (see chart below). 

“Making sure that trucks have all ventilation holes open and minimizing the amount of time the truck is not moving are key steps in avoiding heat stress,” Webb says. “When the truck is stopped on hot days, the body temperature of the pigs will cause the already hot internal temperature to increase dangerously. In extreme heat conditions, it is important to reduce the number of pigs loaded onto the truck.”

In high temperature conditions, wetting the bedding and sprinkling the pigs with water just after loading can help cool the pigs once the trailer starts to move down the road. It is important to pay attention to the scheduled delivery time to avoid wait times at the plant and minimize the time the pigs are on the truck, according to Webb.

 “It is also a good idea to identify alternative travel routes to avoid travel delays due to road construction,” she says. “Producers, transporters and packers should exchange contact information so any emergency changes can be communicated.”

Those working with pigs during extreme high temperatures should follow basic hot-weather advice, such as taking more breaks than usual, preferably in air-conditioned rooms; drinking water before thirsty and staying out of the midday sun whenever possible.

“Whether it’s ensuring the well-being of their pigs or their employees, producers simply need to continue doing a good job demonstrating the associated We Care ethical principles,” Webb says. “It’s reassuring to know producers take their responsibility to care for animals and employees seriously, especially during times of potential stress that we’re experiencing in most areas of the country now with this heat.”

As part of the Pork Checkoff’s Transport Quality Assurance Program, producers should follow these basic transport guidelines for safeguarding their animals during high temperature extremes:

• Adjust loading space and density
• Schedule transportation early in the morning or at night
• Use wet shavings to keep hogs cool
• Sprinkle hogs with water prior to loading at buying stations or on the farm (use a coarse heavy spray but not mist).
• Do not use straw bedding
• Remove slats from farm trucks
• Open nose vents on trucks
• Unplug ventilation holes
• Load and unload pigs promptly to avoid heat buildup