Artículo 2/3 El verano está a la vuelta de la esquina: cómo hacer frente al calor?

When temperatures are too high, pigs experience heat stress. The negative effects may be obvious, but there is also multiple damage on a physiological level that may not be immediately noticeable. Below we will explain what these damages are and how trace elements play a role in the strategy to better prepare pigs for the summer months. 

Installations, refrigeration and ventilation  

There are various methods to reduce the negative effects of heat stress. Installations, cooling systems and ventilation play an important role in achieving this. The installation of ponds with water, moistening and cooling the floor surface of houses and animals by spraying or misting with water, as well as the use of cooling pads in combination with the ventilation system are methods widely used in farms. pigs. It is also important to ensure that there is enough space in the facility and that the animals have enough cold water of good quality. On the other hand, proper insulation of roofs and buildings is crucial to avoid heat exposure, although often simple adjustments such as the use of insulation, 

In particular, a neck drip system can be used to cool lactating sows, as well as cooling systems with outlets right over their head. Lactating sows are very sensitive to heat and prefer an ambient temperature between 18 and 20°C. A heat stressed sow often does not eat enough to produce enough milk, resulting in low growth rates of the piglets until weaning and using their own body fat to compensate. This leaves the sow in poor body and reproductive condition, which can lead to culling. Male fertility is also often negatively affected, further contributing to reduced breeding results. 

Need to adjust feeding  

Since reduced feed intake is one of the first signs of heat stress and the one with the most negative consequences, it is important to critically review feed management and composition. Changes in eating management during the summer may include: 

• increased frequency of food administration, 
• administration of wet food, when possible, 
• reduction of the food dose at each administration, 
• administration of meals at times when temperatures are lower, 
• development of strategies to control the quality, flow and temperature of the water. 

On the other hand, during high temperatures, the feed formulation must be adapted to ensure that valuable nutrients are not wasted and that sufficient energy and amino acids are available to the animal for healthy growth and reproductive performance. A formulation based on net energy values, favoring fats and reducing the level of fermentable fibers, can be used to limit the amount of heat generated by metabolism and breakdown of feed nutrients. 

Formulation adjustments also involve increasing the nutrient density of the diet to compensate for lower levels of feed intake. However, the fact of adding more energetic and protein-rich ingredients can mean a significant increase in the cost of the diet. Therefore, it is important to formulate the feed with the usual free amino acids (lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan), but also to balance the branched-chain amino acids, such as isoleucine and valine, allowing protein levels to be reduced without losing performance. There are also feed additives that can be used to improve digestion and utilization of food nutrients (such as enzymes), 

Dr Stefan Langer,

development manager

business, Porcine,

Zinpro Corporation