People make things more complicated than they need to be when it comes to hogs and farrowing. They need a dry, wind free, well bedded area and they don't care how nice it looks. In fact the nicer it looks the more effort they seem to put into tearing it up. Here is about as basic of a farrowing shed as you can get in the video. And last nights litter makes #100 in this shed. Made it from junk wood and scrap tin 9 years ago, and a lot of sows and piglets have rotated in and out of it since then.
Pasture farrowing I do, really depends on the sow though. This girl has never smashed one. Her sister will plop down and smash a whole litter and could care less. Sister goes into a shed with smash boards on either side and piglet area with heat lamps to keep them away from her. Lose more to rain and cold pasture farrowing than anything else, and losing mom and wandering away from the nest. Only reason I let Sandy (This one) farrow outside is it was warmer and no rain.
No they do not sweat and yes mud, water, shade, wallow holes all replace the non ability to sweat to regulate body temp. Also why leaner breed are better suited to hot arid areas and fat packers are better suited to Northern climates. Mud serves a dual purpose in the light skinned pigs and acts as sunscreen. You ain't met a cranky hog until you have met a white one with a sun burn Most domestic pigs have a body temp of 102.5 which also helps with dealing with hot days.
