Heat Stress in Pigs: Keep Your Cool This Summer
Posted: April 22, 2026 | Written By: Cody Milbrath, Form-A-Feed Swine Team Lead
While much attention is placed on early pig performance, some of the greatest impacts on profitability occur during the final weeks before marketing. As pigs reach heavier weights, limitations in pen space, feeder and water access, and increased handling stress can quietly hinder performance. When summer heat adds additional pressure, late-finishing pigs become especially vulnerable to reduced growth, carcass shrink, and increased death loss during transport.
This period of the highest production risks often coincides with some of the strongest pricing opportunities of the year. Historically, summer months tend to support higher pork futures prices, driven by seasonal demand from grilling and reduced slaughter levels due to heat stress. Every pound lost to heat stress during the summer is often a pound lost at a premium value.
When environmental temperatures exceed 80°F, pigs begin making physiological adjustments to cope with heat stress. Because pigs lack sweat glands, heat dissipation relies largely on respiration and external cooling. Feed intake declines to reduce heat generated during digestion, while blood flow is redirected away from the digestive tract toward the skin for cooling. Nutrient digestion and absorption are reduced, and pig respirations increase, which leads to cellular dehydration.
Certain genetics can also increase stress by producing more metabolic heat. The result is reduced daily gain, poorer feed efficiency, increased leaky gut, greater disease susceptibility, and increased shrink during marketing.
Effectively managing heat stress begins with good barn and equipment management. Proper ventilation begins with clean fans and shutters capable of delivering 120 CFM per pig. Correctly managed sprinklers and adequate water access also remains essential throughout the hot summer months.
An additional tool to combat heat stress in late-finishing pigs is to feed Capture. Capture is an electrolyte and hydration feed additive which has an inclusion
rate of 5 lbs. per ton during the final 3-4 weeks of marketing. Capture combines a precise blend of electrolytes, sugars, and essential nutrients that help replenish intracellular hydration and maintain gut integrity.
Data shows that pigs fed Capture gain 3–5 lbs. more hot carcass weight due to improved feed intake, better feed efficiency, and reduced transportation shrink. Producers also have noted calmer pigs during loading and transport due to reduced stress, along with fewer mortalities during transport.
Combining known heat abatement management in the barn along with Capture for in-feed support, producers can protect their pig performance, capitalize on strong summer market prices, and safeguard profitability during the most challenging and valuable months of the year.