When her consumption of feed is reduced we see lower piglet weaning weights, and longer wean to service intervals, two very important production parameters. Feed in coolest time of day - very early morning and early to late evening. May wet feed, but watch feed spoilage closely. We can counter the heat summer brings by cooling the animals on your farm. This usually involves the use of air movement, water or a combination of both.
Water cools in two ways.
First, it is usually cooler than the outside air, so when sprayed on an animal, the water itself will cool the animal. Second, the evaporation of moisture from the animals skin provides cooling. Air movement cools by evaporating the moisture on skin and by removing the moisture and heat exhaled when breathing. Most cooling systems use these two principles to cool your barns and the animals in them. The simplest systems move more air through a facility, removing the heat and moisture from animals housed there.