Skip the Summer Dip

Heat Stress

Heat stress and its predictable impact on carcass weight – typically a 5–12 lbs reduction – consistently is one of the industry’s most challenging and costly issues, and 2024 was no different. Its negative effects, including lights and associated discounts, put real pressure on producer profitability. The “summer dip” – about a five-month interval, peaking from May through September – incurs losses that are difficult to recoup throughout the rest of the year.

2024 observations for all pigs:

1. 2024 data is very similar to the historical results, with a carcass weight dip of about 8-10 lbs, as earlier observed
2. Carcass weights decrease in May and recover in October, once again demonstrating about a 4-5 month depressed window

Carcass Weight Comparison

Commercial research conducted in large Midwest systems, comparing carcass weight in a traditional feeding program to a summer feeding program containing higher levels of soybean meal with less DDGs, showed a 7.6 lb. advantage from mid-May through mid-September.

*Each point represents a 3-week rolling average for more than 80,000 pigs marketed