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- Heat stress is often impossible to avoid, but its effects can be effectively minimized
- There are many nutritional methods that can reduce the effects of high temperatures
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Recently, we wrote about how heat stress affects the pigs' body and, therefore, the herd's growth and development results.
Read more Heat stress reduces the welfare and profitability of pig farming
Necessary evil
Today we will focus on ways to minimize the effects of this stress. Of course, the best situation would be to not let it happen at all. Efficient air exchange systems are already a standard in modern buildings, and cooling technologies are also becoming more and more common. However, in most cases heat stress is simply impossible to avoid. All we can do is limit its effects to the minimum possible.
We have several ways to improve the comfort of animals and the results achieved by the herd.
Unlimited access to water
One of the basic ways to reduce the effects of heat stress is to provide animals with free and unlimited access to cool water. Although pigs have few sweat glands, the loss of heat through sweat evaporation will be negligible, but cold water will directly lower the body temperature and prevent dehydration.
At the same time, a sufficiently high supply of water stimulates the intake of appropriate amounts of feed, and as we wrote in the previous article, the limited feeding capacity of animals is the cause of most of the losses caused by high temperatures.
Appropriate feed composition
It is also worth considering how nutrients affect the amount of heat animals generate. The digestion of proteins or complex carbohydrates (starch, fiber fractions) produces more heat than, for example, the breakdown of fats. We can use this knowledge to modify the composition of feed for hot weather.
Read more ABC of biosecurity of pig farms: Washing the facility
To reduce heat generation (while maintaining a sufficient supply of nutrients), we can limit the amount of protein in the feed, but this must be done at the expense of improved digestibility and a better balance of amino acids. The second thing is to replace part of the energy from carbohydrates with fat. This is an addition of several percent. Additionally, lubricating the feed will have a positive impact on its palatability, which means that it will be more willingly consumed by animals.
Vitamin C supplementation
A frequently practiced method of combating heat stress (though not only with it) is to give animals increased doses of vitamin C. It is a strong antioxidant, which protects animals not only against overheating, but also against oxidative stress. Additionally, it improves feed intake by animals. Vitamin C is usually administered via a drinking line. The daily dose is approximately 250 – 300 grams per 1,000 animals.
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