Pipestone Health Corner: Hot weather transportation tips
If you work in the pig industry, you've likely unfortunately had to load a group of pigs on a sweltering 95 degree day.
Sometimes it just can't be avoided.
When transporting pigs of any age in warm weather months, the key is to be prepared and willing to make adjustments if necessary.
Here are some tips to make those warm weather journeys as comfortable as possible on the pigs.
- Evaporative Cooling:
One of the main principles in keeping pigs cool during the hot months is evaporative cooling. Evaporative cooling works by first wetting the skin of the pigs briefly. Then when the truck moves, air movement within the truck helps to remove heat from the pigs as the water evaporates. Evaporative cooling is also the basis of people sweating and then feeling cooler when sitting in front of a fan. We also take advantage of this principle in our summer ventilation systems with older pigs via sprinklers or drippers. - Timing: When heat indexes are high, schedule transportation of pigs for the early morning or late at night and schedule fewer pigs to be transported in each load.
- Load and unload animals quickly and get the truck moving to remove heat and humidity. Loading and unloading the truck are critical times to avoid heat stress as temperatures inside the trailer go up dramatically when loaded and the trailer is not moving.
- Bedding is still necessary in the summer as it provides traction to the pigs during transport and also helps to control humidity. However, a light coating of wood shavings is all that is needed.
- Have a water supply and hose ready by your loadout in order to wet the shavings down prior to loading. In order to allow evaporative cooling to occur as you drive down the road, you can sprinkle the pigs down just prior to leaving the site if it is warm. Avoid over-wetting pigs or running the sprinklers on the trucks continuously as it just adds humidity and can be detrimental if there is no air movement.
- Avoid Stops.
Drivers should ideally make no stops as pigs on a trailer heat up very quickly when the truck is not moving. If stops are necessary, park in an area where the wind can blow through the trailer.
- Communicate.
If delays are present at a packing plant, communicate with a plant dispatcher to plan a route so pigs can be kept moving until they arrive at their destination and can be promptly unloaded.
In closing, transporting pigs during the summer months when temperatures and humidity levels are high is critically important to the health and welfare of pigs. Getting pigs loaded and unloaded quickly and keeping the truck moving when loaded with pigs is necessary. Evaporative cooling is a common strategy used to minimize the heat stress during these hot months.
Transportation is often an overlooked touch point for livestock management practices, yet can play a significant role in the animals' health and well-being.
Never hesitate to contact your veterinarian for any health questions regarding transportation. More detailed information regarding managing transport heat stress can be found in the Trucker Quality Assurance (TQA) guidelines as written by the National Pork Board. www.pork.org
Editor's Note: Dr. Emily McDowell is a veterinarian with Pipestone Veterinary Services. She is located in the organization's Ottumwa, IA location and specializes in swine veterinary medicine. For more information or questions, feel contact Dr. McDowell: emcdowell@pipevet.com or 641-682-2291.
