This week’s extreme hot weather in the Northern Plains with temperatures and heat indexes in the triple digits will present challenges for pork producers. Because they don’t have sweat glands, hogs are at risk for heat stress and in some cases death. SDSU Extension Swine Specialist Dr. Bob Thaler says it’s important to crank up the ventilation in the hog pens.

He says pork production has changed over the years with the advent of artificial insemination which helps with breeding hogs.

Thaler says the goal for most pork producers is to get those sows to eat as much as they can to produce milk for their piglets., however the extreme heat can cause those animals not to want to eat much.

Thaler says it’s important to make sure there’s plenty of water available for hogs.

Thaler says another thing producers should check out is the quality of the corn that will be harvested and making sure that that’s used for feed doesn’t contain mycotoxins.