Smart barn climate prevents heat stress

When temperatures rise in livestock housing, so does the risk of heat stress. Poultry and pigs are particularly sensitive to this, with major consequences for animal health, welfare and production results. Fancom helps livestock farmers to control the climate in their housing, even in extreme heat.

What is heat stress and how does it occur?

Heat stress occurs when high temperatures and humidity prevent an animal from regulating its body temperature. This has consequences for the health of the animals. It often occurs at high temperatures in combination with high or very low humidity and insufficient ventilation. Animals then start to change their behaviour: they eat less, pant more and move around much less. Heat stress costs energy and has a direct impact on performance.

Heat stress is a growing problem. Climate change and the increase in economic consequences make it increasingly important to take preventive measures.

Heat stress in poultry

Heat stress in chickens occurs at temperatures above 28 degrees in combination with high humidity. They try to lose body heat by spreading their wings and seeking coolness in the barn. They also breathe faster, which is visible as panting.

In these conditions, the animals eat less but drink more. If the heat persists, the body's balance is disrupted: the acidity of the blood changes, minerals are excreted in larger quantities and liver enzymes may malfunction. This has negative consequences for growth and productivity and, in severe cases, can even lead to mortality.

Preventive ventilation and cooling are therefore essential. Fancom offers climate control systems that actively anticipate temperature fluctuations.

Fancom helps poultry farmers

With smart ventilation systems, such as the Greenline pad cooling, we keep the barn climate under control.

Heat stress in pigs

Pigs can become overheated at temperatures as low as 26 degrees Celsius. They try to cool down by lying on the floor so that they can release more body heat. They also breathe faster — a clear sign of heat stress.

Sows are particularly affected. They eat less, which causes them to lose condition, with all the consequences that entails. Their fertility declines and they produce less milk, which slows down the growth of the piglets.

But piglets and fattening pigs also suffer from high temperatures in the barn. They eat less and therefore do not get enough nutrients. This slows down their growth and causes feed conversion to deteriorate — so more feed is needed to achieve the same result.

A reliable climate control system prevents losses and ensures comfort.

Fancom helps pig farmers

From ventilation to cooling and climate monitoring: we think along with you.

Monitoring and tackling heat stress

To measure is to know. Fancom supplies monitoring systems that continuously monitor the climate in the barn. These include:

Temperature and humidity sensors
Automatic control of ventilation, cooling and heating
Data insight via smart controllers and dashboards

These systems allow you to take preventive action before heat stress occurs. Not only is this more efficient, it is also better for your animals and your profits.

Practical tips for preventing heat stress

Ensure adequate air movement with precisely controlled ventilation
Consider tunnel ventilation or additional circulation fans to remove warm air.
Check that fans and inlet valves are clean and working properly. Accumulated dust reduces the efficiency of the system, causing the air to flow less effectively and the temperature in the barn to rise even further.
Regularly check for “dead spots” where the air is stagnant and heat can accumulate.
Use smart cooling systems and install high-pressure misters or pad cooling to lower the temperature in the barn.
Do not wait until temperatures are extremely high to switch on the cooling system; start cooling well in advance of the hottest part of the day.
Pay attention to the humidity: if the RH is too high, misting can actually have the opposite effect.
Adjust feed and water management and feed at the coolest times of the day, so adjust water and feed schedules accordingly.
Ensure that cool, clean drinking water is always available and check the water quality.
Avoid activities around the hottest time of the day.

Praktische tips om hittestress te voorkomen

Wat is een veilige temperatuur in de stal?

What is a safe temperature in the barn?

For poultry: As long as the ambient temperature is between 18 and 21 °C and depending on their age, chickens can maintain their body temperature well. However, as soon as it gets warmer, they find it increasingly difficult to lose the excess heat. This quickly leads to heat stress.

For pigs: For lactating (nursing) sows, the ideal temperature is below 20°C. In practice, especially in the farrowing pen, this is often difficult to achieve. As soon as the temperature rises above 23°C, you will see that they start to eat less — with all the consequences that this has for their condition and milk production. Suckling piglets can tolerate temperatures of up to around 33°C. But as they grow, this changes quickly: piglets weighing around 25 kg already start to experience heat stress when the temperature rises above 25°C.

What does Fancom do to prevent heat stress?

We supply ventilation, cooling and climate sensor systems that automatically respond to changing conditions.

Don't let heat stress be a problem in your livestock farming

Heat stress can be prevented — with the right technology and knowledge. Fancom offers tailor-made total solutions: from smart ventilation to real-time monitoring. Together, we ensure a stable stable climate and healthy animals, even when temperatures rise.

Request a consultation with one of our specialists

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