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<p>Load-cooling methods are commonly used to mitigate heat stress in piglets during road transport. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of pre-transport Load-Cooling Through Showering (LCTS) and associated heat stress in piglets transported by road in semiarid climate. Environmental (e.g., temperature and relative humidity) and physiological (e.g., respiratory rate and salivary cortisol concentration) parameters were recorded during fourteen 68&#xa0;km commercial piglet transports in Ceará, Brazil, involving 168 piglets (12 per journey). The study revealed increases of 13% in relative humidity and 8.74&#xa0;kJ/kg in trailer enthalpy values for piglets subjected to the LCTS protocol. Additionally, these piglets exhibited significantly higher salivary cortisol levels and higher respiratory rates. In the experimental conditions of the research, the LCTS protocol. proved to be ineffective and adverse, worsening heat stress rather than alleviating it, and causing unnecessary waste in semiarid regions. Producers in these areas should adopt alternatives such as shaded holding areas, ventilation, or evaporative cooling systems, which promote piglet welfare and sustainable water use.</p>

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Load-cooling strategy and associated heat stress in piglets transported by road in semiarid climates

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月13日

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  • João José de Mesquita Sales,
  • José Antonio Delfino Barbosa Filho,
  • Nítalo André Farias Machado,
  • Maria Simone Mendes Peixoto,
  • Luiza Diniz Macêdo,
  • Carla Caroline de Sousa Vasconcelos

摘要

Load-cooling methods are commonly used to mitigate heat stress in piglets during road transport. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of pre-transport Load-Cooling Through Showering (LCTS) and associated heat stress in piglets transported by road in semiarid climate. Environmental (e.g., temperature and relative humidity) and physiological (e.g., respiratory rate and salivary cortisol concentration) parameters were recorded during fourteen 68 km commercial piglet transports in Ceará, Brazil, involving 168 piglets (12 per journey). The study revealed increases of 13% in relative humidity and 8.74 kJ/kg in trailer enthalpy values for piglets subjected to the LCTS protocol. Additionally, these piglets exhibited significantly higher salivary cortisol levels and higher respiratory rates. In the experimental conditions of the research, the LCTS protocol. proved to be ineffective and adverse, worsening heat stress rather than alleviating it, and causing unnecessary waste in semiarid regions. Producers in these areas should adopt alternatives such as shaded holding areas, ventilation, or evaporative cooling systems, which promote piglet welfare and sustainable water use.