“ During the recent heat-wave, I have been inundated with phone calls from pig farmers asking how to turn their alarms off. They are usually set at 320C, but this temperature has been exceeded during the latest hot spell, with some house temperatures even exceeding 380C.”

Tim Miller does not advise turning the alarms off but says one solution used by many producers

is to temporarily reset the alarm at a slightly higher level. However, he says it is very important for farmers not to forget to turn the setting

down to the normal level when hot spells subside.

“ Without air conditioning it is impossible to lower piggery

Tim Miller

temperatures below ambient air temperature, so it is a question of short-term management,” he said.