Tackling temperature extremes in Australia

Providing an optimal thermal environment for pigs is important for their welfare and production performance. A major Australian study funded by the Pig Research and Development Corporation (PRDC) has indicated that piggery building air temperatures on many farms are either too hot in summer or too cold in winter¹. Daily fluctuations in temperature also tend to be well above recommended levels. As part of the PRDC funded research project, experiments and case studies were conducted in Queensland (sub tropic) and South Australia (Mediterranean environment) to assess different management strategies aimed at improving the thermal environment in piggery buildings.