Two experiments were made to study the effects of a mist or large-droplet water spray for different lengths of time, on pig behaviour in lairage prior to slaughter and on subsequent carcass Quality. Water spraying caused more pigs to stand, chew the pen walls and root around the pen floor compared with unsprayed controls, and they also tended to fight more. The sprayed pigs produced meat of superior quality in terms of m. longissimus dorsi rate of acidification and colour. It is suggested that these benefits were due to the effects of evaporative cooling and increased water intake.