Since pigs do not have sweat glands, it can be hard for them to cool themselves down. This can be very dangerous to the pigs or even fatal, especially in transport. To help with this problem, ventilation systems and water cooling systems were investigated in transportation. Dehydration and excessive body heat were both reduced when pigs were misted and had ventilation. Conestoga Meats adopted this system to ensure the comfort of their animals since trailers often need air flow to cool down pigs, with stationary trailers rising in temperatures, fatalities can occur along with increased stress. When pigs are stressed, their meat quality decreases and they are more difficult to handle. Conestoga Meats believes that the cost was worth it due to more animals arriving safely and decreased fuel costs from less driving. They recommend it to other plants and producers who have slow loading hogs or load multiple trailers at a time. The mister should not be left on continuously, it works best in pulses of 10 minutes at a time so the humidity is not too high. Truck drivers and consumers both support this technology since it helps improve animal welfare.
Conestoga a Big Fan of Pig Cooling System (full article)
