Time taken for growing pigs to acclimate to change in ambient temperature.

Abstract

In 4 almost identical trials, 159 Large White X Dutch Landrace gilts and castrated [male][male], weighing about 20 kg, were housed in groups of 10 and maintained at 15 degrees or 25 degrees C for 12 days; all pigs had previously been maintained at 20 degrees . For pigs maintained at 15 degrees and 25 degrees , daily intake of metabolizable energy averaged 1368+or-62.7 and 1462+or-109.4 kJ.kg^-0.75 resp., and daily gain 596+or-28.9 and 622+or-76.8 g; differences between groups were significant. Groups did not differ significantly in heat production or feed conversion efficiency. For pigs housed at 15 degrees , feed intake increased from 1060+or-37.0 g per day at days 2-3 to 1375+or-26.5 g per day at days 11-12. Corresponding values for pigs housed at 25 degrees were 1125+or-29.0 and 1328+or-99.0 g per day. For both groups, heat production was significantly higher in the light than in the dark. Heat production in the light stopped increasing after 8 and 5 days resp. for pigs housed at 15 degrees and 25 degrees ; in the dark it stopped increasing after 6 days for pigs housed at 15 degrees . (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)