The optimum temperature range is 64 degrees to 70 degrees F. Extreme hot or cold temperatures, high humidity, and wind can have a negative effect on pig performance. Cold Stress Cold stress on growing-finishing pigs in the South is caused by management as much as it is by temperature.
Cold temperatures increase the pig's energy requirements.
Therefore, cold stress usually results in an increase in feed intake. In extreme conditions, feed intake can increase as much as 25 percent. Winds and high humidity will increase the effect of cold temperatures. In the South, ample shelter and stocking rates reduce the effects of cold environmental temperatures. In curtain-sided or environmentally controlled barns, cold stress should not exist.