Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T03:53:40.391Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of season and dietary fibre on feeding behaviour of lactating sows in a tropical climate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

D. Renaudeau ,
J.-L. Weisbecker  and
J. Noblet
D. Renaudeau*
Affiliation:
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Unité de Recherches Zootechniques, 97170 Petit Bourg, Guadeloupe, French West Indies
J.-L. Weisbecker
Affiliation:
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Unité de Recherches Zootechniques, 97170 Petit Bourg, Guadeloupe, French West Indies
J. Noblet
Affiliation:
INRA Unité Mixte de Recherches sur le Veau et le Porc, 35590 St-Gilles, France
*
E-mail: renaudea@antilles.inra.fr
Get access

Abstract

Twenty-seven multiparous Large White sows were used to determine the effect of season in a tropical climate and dietary fibre on their feeding behaviour during lactation. The experiment was conducted in Guadeloupe (French West Indies, latitude 16°N, longitude 61°W) between October 1999 and January 2001; climatic conditions in the farrowing room were equivalent to outdoor conditions. Two seasons were determined a posteriori from climatic criteria recorded continuously in the farrowing room. During the warm season, ambient temperature and relative humidity averaged 25°C and 0·868, respectively. The corresponding values for the hot season were 27·5°C and 0·835. Experimental diets offered during lactation were a control diet (C; 140 g neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) per kg) and a high fibre diet (HF; 200 g NDF per kg). Sows were offered food ad libitum between the 6th and the 27th day of lactation. Daily food intake between day 6 and day 27 decreased during the hot season (P < 0·001; 3226 v. 5571 g/d during the warm season). This was achieved by a reduction of both meal size (P < 0·05; 460 v. 718 g per meal) and ingestion and consumption time (P < 0·01; -11·1 and -15·3 min/day, respectively) whereas the number of meals remained constant (8·4 meals per day on average). During warm season, hourly food intake peaked twice daily near sunrise and sunset. During the hot season, peaks were attenuated and food intake was reduced during the hotter periods of the day and increased during the fresher period of the day, especially in early morning. As a result the diurnal partition of food intake was significantly affected by season; proportionately 0·62 and 0·47 of total food intake occurred during the day in warm and in hot seasons, respectively. Standing duration averaged 138 min/ day with no significant difference between seasons. Feeding behaviour criteria were not influenced by diet composition. In conclusion, the season in a humid tropical climate significantly affects the feeding behaviour of lactating sows.

Keywords

feeding behaviourfibrefood intakelactationsowstropical climate
Type
Non-ruminant nutrition, behaviour and production
Information
Animal Science , Volume 77 , Issue 3 , December 2003 , pp. 429 - 437
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

AmiPig. 2000. Digestibilités iléales standardisées des acides aminés des matières premières chez le porc. AFZ, Ajinomoto Eurolysine, Aventis Nutrition Animal, INRA, and ITCF, Paris.Google Scholar
Bigelow, J. A. and Houpt, T. R. 1988. Feeding and drinking patterns in young pigs. Physiology and Behavior 43: 99–109.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Black, J. L., Mullan, B. P., Lorschy, M. L. and Giles, L. R. 1993. Lactation in the sow during heat stress. Livestock Production Science 35: 153–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brouns, F., Edwards, S. A. and English, P. R. 1997. Effect of dietary inclusion of sugar-beet pulp on the feeding behaviour of dry sows. Animal Science 65: 129–133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christon, R., Saminadin, G., Lionet, H. and Racon, B. 1999. Dietary fat and climate alter food intake, performance of lactating sows and their litters and fatty acid composition of milk. Animal Science 69: 353–365.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Feedes, J. J. R. and DeShazer, J. A. 1988. Energetic responses of growing pigs to high cyclic and constant temperatures. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 31: 1203–1210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Labroue, F., Guéblez, R., Sellier, P. and Meunier-Salaün, M. C. 1994. Feeding behaviour of group-housed Large White and Landrace pigs in French central test stations. Livestock Production Science 40: 303–312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le Goff, G. and Noblet, J. 2001. Comparative total tract digestibility of dietary energy and nutrients in growing pigs and adult sows. Journal of Animal Science 79: 2418–2427.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Research Council. 1998. Nutrient requirement of swine, 10th edition.National Academy Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Noblet, J., Dourmad, J. Y., Le Dividich, J. and Dubois, S. 1989. Effect of ambient temperature and addition of straw or alfalfa in the diet on energy metabolism in pregnant sows. Livestock Production Science 21: 309–324.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Noblet, J., Fortune, H., Shi, X. S. and Dubois, S. 1994. Prediction of net energy value of feeds for growing pigs. Journal of Animal Science 72: 344–354.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Quiniou, N. and Noblet, J. 1999. Influence of high ambient temperatures on performance of multiparous lactating sows. Journal of Animal Science 77: 2124–2134.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Quiniou, N., Renaudeau, D., Dubois, S. and Noblet, J. 2000a. Influence of high ambient temperatures on food intake and feeding behaviour of multiparous lactating sows. Animal Science 70: 471–479.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quiniou, N., Renaudeau, D., Dubois, S. and Noblet, J. 2000b. Effect of diurnally fluctuating high ambient temperatures on performance and feeding behaviour of multiparous lactating sows. Animal Science 71: 571–575.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramonet, Y., Meunier-Salaün, M. C. and Dourmad, J. Y. 1999. High-fiber diets in pregnant sows: digestive utilization and effects on behavior of the animals. Journal of Animal Science 77: 591–599.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Renaudeau, D., Anaïs, C. and Noblet, J. 2003. Effects of dietary fiber on performance of multiparous lactating sows in a tropical climate. Journal of Animal Science 81: 717–725.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Renaudeau, D., Quiniou, N., Dubois, S. and Noblet, J. 2002. Effect of high ambient temperature and dietary protein level on feeding behaviour of multiparous lactating sows. Animal Research 51: 227–243.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schoenherr, W. D., Stahly, T. S. and Cromwell, G. L. 1989. The effects of dietary fat or fiber addition on yield and composition of milk from sows housed in a warm or hot environment. Journal of Animal Science 67: 482–495.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1990. SAS/STAT user’s guide, version 6, fourth edition. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Xin, H. and DeShazer, J. A. 1991. Swine responses to constant and modified diurnal cyclic temperatures. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 34: 2533–2540.CrossRefGoogle Scholar