Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-wq484 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T17:26:48.883Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Does light attract piglets to the creep area?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2015

M. L. V. Larsen  and
L. J. Pedersen
M. L. V. Larsen*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Alle 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
L. J. Pedersen
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Alle 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
*
†E-mail: mona@anis.au.dk
Get access

Abstract

Hypothermia, experienced by piglets, has been related to piglet deaths and high and early use of a heated creep area is considered important to prevent hypothermia. The aims of the present study were to investigate how a newly invented radiant heat source, eHeat, would affect piglets’ use of the creep area and whether light in the creep area works as an attractant on piglets. A total of 39 sows, divided between two batches, were randomly distributed to three heat source treatments: (1) standard infrared heat lamp (CONT, n=19), (2) eHeat with light (EL, n=10) and (3) eHeat without light (ENL, n=10). Recordings of piglets’ use of the creep area were made as scan sampling every 10 min for 3 h during two periods, one in daylight (0900 to 1200 h) and one in darkness (2100 to 2400 h), on day 1, 2, 3, 7, 14 and 21 postpartum. On the same days, piglets were weighted. Results showed an interaction between treatment and observation period (P<0.05) with a lower use of the creep area during darkness compared with daylight for CONT and EL litters, but not for ENL litters. Piglets average daily weight gain was not affected by treatment, but was positively correlated with piglets’ birth weight and was lower in batch 1 compared with batch 2. Seen from the present results, neither eHeat nor light worked as an attractant on piglets; in contrast, piglets preferred to sleep in the dark and it would therefore be recommended to turn off the light in the creep area during darkness. Heating up the creep area without light can be accomplished by using a radiant heat source such as eHeat in contrast to the normally used light-emitting infrared heat lamp.

Keywords

behaviourpigletcreep areaheat sourcelight
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 9 , Issue 6 , June 2015 , pp. 1032 - 1037
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2015 

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

Algers, B and Jensen, P 1990. Thermal microclimate in winter farrowing nests of free-ranging domestic pigs. Livestock Production Science 25, 177–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Animal Care ApS 2013. eHeat heating lamp. Retrieved November 2013 from www.animalcare-aps.com/e-heat Google Scholar
Berg, S, Andersen, IL, Tajet, GM, Haukvik, IA, Kongsrud, S and Boe, KE 2006. Piglet use of the creep area and piglet mortality – effects of closing the piglets inside the creep area during sow feeding time in pens for individually loose-housed sows. Animal Science 82, 277–281.Google Scholar
Edwards, SA 2002. Perinatal mortality in the pig: environmental or physiological solutions? Livestock Production Science 78, 3–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
English, PR and Morrison, V 1984. Causes and prevention of piglet mortality. Pig News and Information 5, 369–376.Google Scholar
Gundlach, H 1968. Brutfürsorge, brutpflege, verhaltensontogenese und tagesperiodik beim europäischen wildschwein (Sus scrofa L.). Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie 25, 955–995.Google ScholarPubMed
Herpin, P, Damon, M and Le Dividich, J 2002. Development of thermoregulation and neonatal survival in pigs. Livestock Production Science 78, 25–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Houbak, B, Thodberg, K, Malmkvist, J and Pedersen, LJ 2006. Effects of pen floor heating on piglets' use of a heated area 0–120 H postpartum. In Proceedings of the 40th International Congress of ISAE, Bristol, UK, p. 156.Google Scholar
Hrupka, BJ, Leibbrandt, VD, Crenshaw, TP and Benevenga, NJ 1998. The effect of farrowing crate heat lamp location on sow and pig patterns of lying and pig survival. Journal of Animal Science 76, 2995–3002.Google Scholar
Hrupka, BJ, Leibbrandt, VD, Crenshaw, TD and Benevenga, NJ 2000. The effect of thermal environment and age on neonatal pig behavior. Journal of Animal Science 78, 583–591.Google Scholar
Jensen, P 1986. Observations on the maternal-behaviour of free-ranging domestic pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 16, 131–142.Google Scholar
Jensen, P and Redbo, I 1987. Behavior during nest leaving in free-ranging domestic pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 18, 355–362.Google Scholar
Jensen, P, Floren, K and Hobroh, B 1987. Peri-parturient changes in behaviour in free-ranging domestic pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 17, 69–76.Google Scholar
KilBride, AL, Mendl, M, Statham, P, Held, S, Harris, M, Cooper, S and Green, LE 2012. A cohort study of preweaning piglet mortality and farrowing accommodation on 112 commercial pig farms in England. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 104, 281–291.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Larsen, MLV, Pedersen, LJ and Thodberg, K 2015. Effect of increased room temperature and a new heat source on piglets’ use of the heated creep area. In preparation.Google Scholar
Littell, RC, Milliken, GA, Stroup, WW and Wolfinger, RD 1996. SAS system for mixed models. Statistical Analysis Systems Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA.Google Scholar
Parfet, KAR and Gonyou, HW 1991. Attraction of newborn piglets to auditory, visual, olfactory and tactile stimuli. Journal of Animal Science 69, 125–133.Google Scholar
Pedersen, LJ, Berg, P, Jorgensen, G and Andersen, IL 2011. Neonatal piglet traits of importance for survival in crates and indoor pens. Journal of Animal Science 89, 1207–1218.Google Scholar
Pedersen, LJ, Malmkvist, J, Kammersgaard, T and Jorgensen, E 2013. Avoiding hypothermia in neonatal pigs: effect of duration of floor heating at different room temperatures. Journal of Animal Science 91, 425–432.Google Scholar
Schormann, R and Hoy, S 2006. Effects of room and nest temperature on the preferred lying place of piglets – a brief note. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 101, 369–374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stangel, G and Jensen, P 1991. Behaviour of semi-naturally kept sows and piglets (except suckling) during 10 days postpartum. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 31, 211–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tanida, H, Miura, A, Tanaka, T and Yoshimoto, T 1996. Behavioral responses of piglets to darkness and shadows. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 49, 173–183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Toscano, MJ and Lay, DC 2005. Parsing the characteristics of a simulated udder to determine relative attractiveness to piglets in the 72 h following parturition. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 92, 283–291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tuchscherer, M, Puppe, B, Tuchscherer, A and Tiemann, U 2000. Early identification of neonates at risk: traits of newborn piglets with respect to survival. Theriogenology 54, 371–388.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vasdal, G, Andersen, IL and Pedersen, LJ 2009a. Piglet use of the creep area – effects of breeding value and farrowing environment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 120, 62–67.Google Scholar
Vasdal, G, Wheeler, EF and Boe, KE 2009b. Effect of infrared temperature on thermoregulatory behaviour in suckling piglets. Animal 3, 1449–1454.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vasdal, G, Mogedal, I, Boe, KE, Kirkden, R and Andersen, IL 2010a. Piglet preference for infrared temperature and flooring. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 122, 92–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vasdal, G, Glaerum, M, Melisova, M, Boe, KE, Broom, DM and Andersen, IL 2010b. Increasing the piglets’ use of the creep area – a battle against biology? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 125, 96–102.Google Scholar
Wood-Gush, DGM, Jensen, P and Algers, B 1990. Behaviour of pigs in a novel semi-natural environment. Biology of Behaviour 15, 62–73.Google Scholar
Zhang, Q and Xin, H 2001. Responses of piglets to creep heat type and location in farrowing crate. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 17, 515–519.Google Scholar