Document Type

Article

2001-28

Publication Date

2002

Keywords

growing swine, temperature, environment, surface temperatures and group size

Summary

The effects of environmental conditions on performance of growing pigs (30-50 kg) were studied over a four-week period. Pigs were exposed to natural occurring diurnal temperatures and a constant 32°C ambient temperature during normally hot weather conditions and constant 21 and 10°C ambient temperature conditions during cold weather. For each temperature treatment pigs were divided into single, 9 and 18 head per pen groups. The constant 32°C ambient temperature had a significant (P<0.05) effect on average daily gain and feed intake. Average daily gains were reduced from 0.72 to 0.64 kg/d and average daily feed intake was reduced from 1.53kg/d to 1.36 kg/d when comparing pig performance from the naturally occurring diurnal to constant 32°C temperature treatments. The 10°C cold weather treatment had no significant {P>0.05) effects on overall pig performance. Pigs from the 10°C treatment gained at a rate of 0. 72 vs 0.74 kg/d for pigs in the 21°C treatment. Average daily feed intake was 1.61 kg/d for pigs at 10°C versus 1.64 kg/d for pigs at 21°C. The 9 and 18 pigs per pen group size had no significant effect on pig performance in any of the temperature treatments. Pen microenvironments varied considerably with each temperature treatment. Pig and floor surface temperatures were significantly affected by temperature and group size. During the cold weather tests the pigs housed in the single pigpens had significantly (P<0.0001) lower surface temperatures than the pigs from the 9 and 18 pigs per pen group. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of maintained warm or cold temperatures and group size on growing swine and characterize the pen environment for each condition.

Number of Pages

9

Format

application/pdf

Language

en

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Rights

Copyright © 2001

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