When pigs breathe faster and they begin to wallow in feces, this means that they are in heat..

The behavior of pigs changes as the temperature in the room rises, as compared to other animals, pigs are more sensitive to high temperatures.

This is due to the fact that pigs do not have sweat glands, and the removal of excess heat during respiration is not possible. A new study from the Netherlands shows the response of 60 kg animals to an increase in temperature from 16 to 32°C. The pigs were placed in a room in which 40% of the area was slatted floors, and 60% solid.

The first sign of behavioral change was wallowing in feces. It has been noted at relatively low temperatures, 16-17°C. At a temperature of about 19°C, the number of animals increased. lying on the slatted floor, and at about 20°C the animals began to defecate on the solid floor. The first physiological response to an increase in temperature was an increase in respiration, which occurred at temperatures around 22-23°C. Feed intake decreased as temperature increased to about 25-26°C, while body temperature increased at about 26°C.

Cooler on the slatted floor

When the temperature rises, the animals prefer to lie on the slatted floor, as it is cooler on the slats than on a solid floor. Often the slatted floor is more wet  and the air exchange rate is higher, compare with the solid floor

It follows from the cited study that when approximately 30% of the slatted floor (defecation sites) is occupied by animals, the animals find alternative defecation sites and the amount of defecation on the solid floor increases. The number of animals lying in the places of defecation is thus an indicator that the room is too hot, and if appropriate measures are not taken, the resting areas and defecation of pigs changed places.