89. Measuring temperatures in pig sheds to predict tail biting: do we need experimental weather stations for accurate data?

Introduction: There is evidence that extreme temperatures alter pig behaviour, which may increase tail biting incidents (Black et al., 2001). Measuring temperatures on farms can provide producers with valuable information on current tail biting risks. These measurements are often made using smaller producer-operated weather stations, which can be costly and time-consuming to operate. Additionally, optimising weather station placement, dealing with equipment failures, and data extracting and processing can be difficult to handle on farms. A potential alternative is federal weather data, which is often publicly accessible and available at no cost. We hypothesised that federal weather data is equally available, accurate, and useful as experimental weather data recorded on farms.