Keeping Your Show Pig Comfortable with Fall Temperature Swings
One morning it’s 45 degrees, by the afternoon it’s pushing 80, and by the time you walk back to the barn that evening, you’re reaching for a jacket. Welcome to fall!
For show pig exhibitors, fall temperature swings can create some of the most frustrating management challenges of the season. Pigs are expected to continue growing, eating and looking their best, but their environment can change dramatically within just a few hours.
The key isn’t keeping the barn at one perfect temperature all day. It’s giving your pigs an environment where they can comfortably adjust as the weather changes.
Don't Let a Cool Night Fool You into Closing the Barn
When temperatures drop in the evening, the first instinct may be to shut the barn down and keep every bit of warm air inside. But completely closing the barn can create a different set of problems such as sickness, a muggy barn, bad ammonia odor and poor air quality conditions for your animals.
Ventilation is still critical during cooler weather. Without adequate airflow, humidity, odors, and stale air can build up quickly.
Instead of completely closing the barn, make small adjustments throughout the day. Open things up when the afternoon warms up and make gradual changes as temperatures fall. Keep fresh air moving without creating cold drafts directly on the pigs.
Learn the Difference Between Ventilation and a Draft
This is one of the biggest mistakes exhibitors can make during fall weather. Good ventilation brings fresh air into the barn. A draft puts uncomfortable cold air directly on the pig.
Check areas around curtains, doors, windows and fans for direct airflow. Get down at pig level and pay attention to what the pig is actually experiencing rather than relying only on the temperature outside or at your height.
Air blowing across resting pigs may not be a concern on a warm afternoon, but that can change as temperatures drop. Check again in the evening and adjust the barn openings if needed.
Clean and Dry Bedding
As nighttime temperatures fall, bedding becomes another important tool. Wet or dirty bedding can quickly become counterproductive. Check pens regularly and remove damp areas before replacing them with fresh bedding.
Clean, dry bedding gives pigs a comfortable place to rest and helps provide insulation from cool surfaces. I like to add a good amount of shavings toward the back of the pen for the evenings so that way if it gets chilly, they have a place they can make a bed and keep warm.
You can also add Essential Dry under or on top of shavings to help keep bedding dry and pigs comfortable. It absorbs moisture, reduces ammonia odors and helps bedding last longer!
A good rule of thumb: If you wouldn’t want your pig laying in it, don’t leave it in the pen.
Watch the Water Even When it's Not Hot
Water intake is easy to overlook once summer temperatures disappear. Cooler weather may reduce how much pigs drink, but they still need consistent access to clean, fresh water. Check waterers every day and make sure they are functioning properly.
Fall is also a good time to pay attention to changes in your pig’s normal drinking habits. A noticeable change in water intake, especially when paired with changes in appetite or behavior, deserves attention.
I also add Electrolyte to all my pigs’ water to help keep them hydrated, especially during times of stress with weather swings.
Let the Pig Tell You What it Needs
Spend time observing your pigs rather than simply checking the temperature in the barn.
Are they comfortably resting? Are they piling together? Are they constantly looking for a cooler area? Are they spreading out and avoiding bedding?
These behaviors can tell you whether your current barn setup is working. And don’t check just once a day. A barn that feels perfect at 2 p.m. may feel completely different at 6 a.m.
Make Barn Checks Part of Your Routine
Fall weather requires exhibitors to be a little more hands-on with their environment.
During your morning check:
Look at pigs’ behavior and positioning.
Check bedding for moisture.
Check every waterer.
Look for drafts.
Check air quality and ventilation.
Note the overnight temperature.
During the afternoon:
Reassess the barn as temperatures rise.
Adjust curtains or openings if necessary.
Make sure pigs aren’t getting too warm.
Check water availability again.
These small checks can prevent a minor weather-related issue from becoming a bigger setback.
Don't Chase Every Temperature Change
One of the biggest keys to fall management is consistency. You don’t need to completely change your barn setup every time the forecast moves a few degrees. Instead, adjust barn openings a little at a time, check for drafts where pigs rest and add dry bedding as needed. Let the conditions inside the barn and how your pigs are responding guide those changes.
Keep Your Fall Show Pig on Track
Fall is an exciting time in the show pig industry. Shows and state fairs are in full swing, pigs are developing and exhibitors are putting the final touches on projects they’ve worked on for months. Don’t let unpredictable weather become an unnecessary setback!
Electrolyte - Daily Electrolyte for Show Animals
Electrolyte is a straight-ahead electrolyte to keep projects hydrated in stressful and challenging conditions like stress and farrowing.
Essential Dry - Reduce Ammonia Odor Fast
Essential Dry is a natural drying agent used to neutralize ammonia odor, extend bedding life and enhance overall air quality for superior livestock comfort.
