Vernevelen van water voor koeling in varkensstallen

Under Dutch conditions heat stress can be a problem among pregnant sows, lactating sows and growing-finishing pigs. Heat stress has negative economic consequences. The risk that a pregnant sow wil1 die increases. Lactating sows and growing-finishing pigs will have a Iower feed intake, which results in a lower production. At the Experimental Farm for Pig Husbandry “South and West-Netherlands’ at Sterksel the technical and practica1 functioning of an evaporative cooler in a farrowing compartment has been studied. The installation could easily be adjusted and during hot periods the temperature in the compartment could be reduced some degrees without causing problems due to high humidity. The yearly costs of an evaporative cooler have been estimated at Dfl 17.- per pregnant sow place, Dfl 9.- per farrowing pen and Dfl 8.- per growing-finishing pig place. In an average year it seems unlikely that the yearly costs can be recovered in periods of heat stress