Sows’ responses to increased heat load—A review
Abstract
There is a comprehensive body of literature on how increased air temperature affects the physiology, production and behaviour of sows, while very few studies consider the thermal effects of air humidity and air velocity. This review summarises studies that have investigated effects of air temperature by reviewing published literature in which sows were exposed to at least two different levels of air temperature ranging from 15 °C to 39 °C. Increased rectal temperature was investigated in the majority of the studies (26) and on average, the rectal temperature increased by 0.099 °C per °C increased air temperature above 25 °C. The increase was smaller at lower air temperatures, and it was suggested that rectal temperature is practically unaffected by air temperatures in the range of 15 °C-21 °C. This review elucidates how air temperature also affects performance indicators such as respiration rate, vaginal temperature, skin temperature, feed intake, milk yield, body weight loss during lactation, mortality, litter daily weight gain during lactation and sow behaviour. One study reported how respiration rate, rectal temperature, vaginal temperature and skin temperature were affected by both air temperature and air humidity, and the results suggest that the relative significance of air temperature and humidity may be similar for sows and finishing pigs (e.g. an increase of 40% relative humidity at an air temperature of 30 °C has a similar effect as a 1.9 °C increase in temperature). Studies on mitigation methods against the effects of high temperature and humidity such as snout cooling, drip cooling and floor cooling were reviewed to extract knowledge related to the effects of air velocity, temperatures of surrounding surfaces and the opportunity for sows to moisten their skin.
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When air temperature is above 25 °C, every 1 °C increase in air temperature increases rectal temperature by 0.099 °C.
“Previous studies have shown that when the air temperature is above 25 °C, every 1 °C increase in air temperature will increase the rectal temperature by 0.099 °C [50].”
From Modeling of Heat Stress in Sows—Part 1: Establishment of the Prediction Model for the Equivalent Temperature Index of the Sows (2021) · cites this paper as [50]
Previous studies on the effect of air temperature on rectal temperature vary widely.
“Previous studies on the effect of air temperature on rectal temperature vary widely [50].”
From Modeling of Heat Stress in Sows—Part 1: Establishment of the Prediction Model for the Equivalent Temperature Index of the Sows (2021) · cites this paper as [50]
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Cao, M., Zong, C., Wang, X., Teng, G., Zhuang, Y., & Lei, K. (2021) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani11051472 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“Previous studies on the effect of air temperature on rectal temperature vary widely [50].”
Background
- Authors
- Bjerg, B., Brandt, P., Pedersen, P., & Zhang, G.
- Affiliations
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- Aarhus University (DK)
- Corresponding author
- Bjerg, Bjarne
- Venue
- Journal of Thermal Biology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-12
- Volume
- 94
- Pages
- 102758
- ISSN
- 0306-4565 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3091967007
- Cited by
- 66
- References
- 69
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 6
- FWCI
- 0.79
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Thermal Biology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Innovationsfonden
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Effects of Environmental Stressors on Livestock
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Thermoregulation and physiological responses
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Keywords
- sows, heat stress, air temperature, rectal temperature, air humidity, air velocity, sow behavior, respiration rate, feed intake, milk yield, litter weight gain, floor cooling, surface temperature
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Behavior, Animal, Body Temperature, Eating, Female, Hot Temperature, Humidity, Lactation, Respiration, Swine
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