Guide - Summary
Centre de développement du porc du Québec
Marie-Josée Parent, agr., journaliste, Le Bulletin des agriculteurs
Date of Publication: 2026-03-31
Keeping Your Pigs Cool This Summer: Simple Strategies That Work
When it's hot, pigs eat less and grow more slowly. CDPQ specialist Sébastien Turcotte reminds producers that ventilation alone stops working once outdoor temperatures exceed 22°C.
The first strategy is to create airflow directly over the animals. When air is too warm, wetting the pigs is the most effective solution — water evaporating from their skin cools them down, even in humid conditions. In farrowing barns, drip cooling at the base of the sow's neck keeps her cool without wetting the piglets.
On the feeding side, splitting meals into smaller portions and shifting feeding times to cooler nighttime hours can help limit the summer drop in feed intake. Taking advantage of cool nights to lower barn temperature can translate to as much as 3 to 4 kg of extra gain per pig.