Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T19:06:45.105Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A note on the effects of environmental temperature on live-weight gain during fattening of pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

T. Sakai
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa 252, Japan
M. Nishino
Affiliation:
Experimental Farm, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa 252, Japan
M. Hamakawa
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa 252, Japan
C.-S. Yoon
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa 252, Japan
T. Thirapatsakun
Affiliation:
Department of Farm Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Henri Dunant Street, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Get access

Abstract

The effect of piggery temperature on daily live-weight gain of triple cross Large White-Duroc pigs was studied. Weaning rate and fattening completion rates were similar among piglets born in different seasons of the year but the average daily weight gain was slower during the early (20 to 40 kg live weight) and intermediate (40 to 60 kg live weight) periods of fattening in the autumn-born group (T < 0·05) whilst during the late period (60 to 80 kg live weight) slower growth rates were found in the summer- and winter-born groups (P > 0·05). In the intermediate period the fastest growth rates (900 g/day) were recorded at piggery temperatures of 16 to 20°C. In the same period the slowest growth rates (602 g/day) were recorded at temperatures of 8°C or lower and at 24°C or higher. The daily live-weight gain during the intermediate period was shown to be related to piggery temperature in a curvilinear manner according to the equation Y = −2·48x2 + 90·44x + 25·37.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1992

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

Close, W. H., Heavens, R. D. and Brown, D. 1981. The effects of ambient temperature and air movement on heat loss from the pig. Animal Production 32: 7584.Google Scholar
Close, W. H. and Stanier, M. W. 1984. Effects of plane of nutrition and environmental temperature on the growth and development of the early-weaned piglet. 1. Growth and body composition. Animal Production 38: 211220.Google Scholar
Dauncey, M. J. and Ingram, D. L. 1983. Evaluation of the effects of environmental temperature and nutrition on body composition. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 101: 351358.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fuller, M. F. and Boyne, A. W. 1971. The effect of environmental temperature on the growth and metabolism of pigs given different amounts of food. 1. Nitrogen metabolism, growth and body composition. British Journal of Nutrition 25: 259272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hata, H., Kajino, S., Tokoro, K. and Asahida, Y. 1983. [The effects of housing temperature and its seasonal change on feed intake, rate of gain and feed conversion rate in growing finishing pigs fed ad libitum under practical conditions.] Japanese Journal of Livestock Management 19: 3542.Google Scholar
Hata, H., Koizumi, T., Makita, H. and Okamoto, M. 1988. [Growth and chemical body composition of weaned piglets kept in cold environment.] Japanese Journal of Zootechnical Science 59: 936943.Google Scholar
Holmes, C. W. 1974. Further studies on the energy and protein metabolism of pigs growing at a high ambient temperature, including measurements with fasting pigs. Animal Production 9: 211220.Google Scholar
Holmes, C. W. and Close, W. H. 1977. The influence of climatic variables on energy metabolism and associated aspects of productivity in the pig. In Nutrition and the climatic environment (ed Haresign, W., Swan, H. and Lewis, D.), pp. 5173. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
LeDividich, J. 1981. Effects of environmental temperature on the growth rates of early-weaned piglets. Livestock Production Science 8: 7586.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
LeDividich, J. and Noblet, J. 1982. Growth rate and protein and fat gain in early-weaned piglets housed below thermoneutrality. Livestock Production Science 9: 731742.Google Scholar
Morrison, S. R., Heitman, H. and Givens, R. L. 1975. Effect of diurnal air temperature cycles on growth and food conversion in pigs. Animal Production 20: 287291.Google Scholar
Nakamura, M., Misaidzu, Y. and Yamada, Y. 1988. [Effects of environmental temperature on the physiological responses of piglets.] Japanese Journal of Zootechnical Science 59: 682687.Google Scholar
Verstegen, M. W. A., Mateman, G., Brandsma, H. A. and Haartsen, P. I. 1979. Rate of gain and carcass quality in fattening pigs at low ambient temperatures. Livestock Production Science 6: 5160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar