Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T21:55:29.641Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effect of high temperature on feeding behaviour and heat production in group-housed young pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Anne Collin
Affiliation:
Unité Mixte de Recherches sur le Veau et le Porc, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 35590 Saint-Gilles, France
Jacob van Milgen
Affiliation:
Unité Mixte de Recherches sur le Veau et le Porc, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 35590 Saint-Gilles, France
Serge Dubois
Affiliation:
Unité Mixte de Recherches sur le Veau et le Porc, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 35590 Saint-Gilles, France
Jean Noblet*
Affiliation:
Unité Mixte de Recherches sur le Veau et le Porc, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 35590 Saint-Gilles, France
*
*Corresponding author:J. Noblet, fax +33 223 48 50 80, email noblet@st-gilles.rennes.inra.fr
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

To assess the acclimation of pigs to heat stress, the effects of high (33°C) or thermoneutral (23°C) constant temperatures on feeding behaviour and components of energy balance were studied in group-housed young pigs. Three groups of five pigs were used at each temperature. After 1 week of adaptation, voluntary feed intake (VFI) and heat production (HP) were recorded for thirteen consecutive days. Animals were fed ad libitum. Fasting HP was measured on the last day. Average initial body weights (BW) were 21·4 and 20·9 kg at 23 and 33°C respectively. Feeding behaviour was measured individually and rate of feed intake and characteristics of feeding behaviour were calculated. The O2 consumption, CO2 production and physical activity of the group were used to calculate total HP (HPtot) and its components, i.e. fasting HP (HPfas), HP due to physical activity (HPact) and thermic effect of feed (TEF). The BW gain and VFI were reduced by 37 and 30 % respectively at 33°C. The decrease in VFI corresponded to reduced consumption time (-34 %) and size of the meals (-32 %). Feeding behaviour was mostly diurnal (66 % of the VFI), and the rate of feed intake (28 g/min) was not affected by temperature. Daily HPtot, HPfas and TEF, expressed per kg metabolic weight (BW0·60), were significantly decreased at 33°C by 22, 18 and 35 % respectively, whereas HPact was not affected; TEF expressed per g feed was not affected (2 kJ/g). The decrease in HPtot at 33°C was caused by a reduction in TEF and HPfas (kJ/d per/kg BW0·60), which are both related to reduction in VFI.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2001

References

Bernier, J, Dubois, S & Noblet, J (1996) Fasting heat production of Large White and Meishan growing pigs as influenced by environmental temperature. Journal of Animal Science 74 Suppl. 1, 180.Google Scholar
Bigelow, JA & Houpt, TR (1988) Feeding and drinking patterns in young pigs. Physiology and Behavior 43, 99109.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brouwer, E (1965) Report of the sub-committee on constants and factors. In Energy Metabolism. European Association for Animal Production Publication no 11, pp. 441443 [Blaxter, KL, editor]. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Collin, A, van Milgen, J & Le Dividich, J (2001) Modelling the effect of high, constant temperature on food intake in young growing pigs. Animal Science 72, (In the Press).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dauncey, MJ (1990) Activity and energy expenditure. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 68, 1727.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Feddes, JJR, Young, BA & DeShazer, JA (1989) Influence of temperature and light on feeding behaviour of pigs. Applied Animal Behavioral Science 23, 215222.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Giles, LR (1992) Energy expenditure of growing pigs at high ambient temperatures. PhD Thesis, University of Sidney.Google Scholar
Gray, R & McCracken, KJ (1974) Utilisation of energy and protein by pigs adapted to different temperature levels. In Energy Metabolism in Farm Animals. Proceedings of the 6th Symposium, Hohenheim, European Association for Animal Production Publication no. 14, pp. 161164 [Menke, KH, Lantzsch, HJ and Reicht, JR, editors]. Stuttgart: Universität Hohenheim.Google Scholar
Holmes, CW (1974) Further studies on the energy and protein metabolism of pigs growing at high ambient temperature, including measurements with fasting pigs. Animal Production 19, 211220.Google Scholar
Ingram, DL (1965) The effect of humidity on temperature regulation and cutaneous water loss in the young pig. Research in Veterinary Science 6, 917.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koong, LJ, Nienaber, JA & Mersmann, AJ (1983) Effect of plane of nutrition on organ size and fasting heat production in genetically obese and lean pigs. Journal of Nutrition 113, 16261631.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Labroue, F, Guéblez, R, Sellier, P & Meunier-Salaün, MC (1994) Feeding behaviour of group-housed Large-White and Landrace pigs in French central test stations. Livestock Production Science 40, 303312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le Dividich, J, Noblet, J, Herpin, P, van Milgen, J & Quiniou, N (1998) Thermoregulation. In Progress in Pig Science, pp. 229264 [Wiseman, JJ, Varley, MA and Chadwick, JP, editors]. Nottingham: Nottingham University Press.Google Scholar
Nienaber, JA & Hahn, GL (1982) Heat Production and Feed Intake of Ad-libitum-fed Growing Swine as Affected by Temperature. American Society of Agricultural Engineers Paper no. 824065, St Joseph, MIASAE.Google Scholar
Nienaber, JA, Hahn, GL, Korthals, RL & McDonald, TP (1993) Eating behavior of swine influenced by environmental temperature. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 36, 937944.Google Scholar
Nienaber, JA, Hahn, GL, McDonald, TP & Korthals, RL (1996) Feeding patterns and swine performance in hot environments. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 39, 195202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nienaber, JA, Hahn, GL & Yen, JT (1987) Thermal environment effects on growing–finishing swine. Part 1. Growth, feed intake and heat production. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 30, 17721775.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nienaber, JA, McDonald, TP, Hahn, GL & Chen, YR (1990) Eating dynamics of growing–finishing swine. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 33, 20112018.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Noblet, J, Fortune, H, Shi, XS & Dubois, S (1994) Prediction of net energy value of feeds for growing pigs. Journal of Animal Science 72, 344354.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Noblet, J, Karege, C, Dubois, S & van Milgen, J (1999) Metabolic utilization of energy and maintenance requirements in growing pigs: effects of sex and genotype. Journal of Animal Science 77, 12081216.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Noblet, J, Shi, X & Dubois, S (1993) Energy cost of standing activity in sows. Livestock Production Science 34, 127136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quiniou, N, Dubois, S, Le Cozler, Y, Bernier, JF & Noblet, J (1999) Effect of growth potential (body weight and breed/castration combination) on the feeding behaviour of individually kept growing pigs. Livestock Production Science 6, 1322.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quiniou, N, Dubois, S & Noblet, J (2000) Voluntary feed intake and feeding behaviour of group-housed growing pigs are affected by ambient temperature and body weight. Livestock Production Science 63, 245253.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Quiniou, N, Noblet, J, van Milgen, J & Dubois, S (2001) Modelling heat production and energy balance in group-housed growing pigs exposed to cold or hot ambient temperatures. British Journal of Nutrition 85, 97106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rafaï, P (1974) Influence of the dry and humid air on the weight gain and food-conversion of fattening pigs. Különlenyomat a Kisérletügyi Közlemények LXVII/B, 4156.Google Scholar
Rinaldo, D & Le Dividich, J (1991b) Assessment of optimal temperature for performance and chemical body composition of growing pigs. Livestock Production Science 29, 6175.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rinaldo, D & Le Dividich, J (1991) Effects of warm exposure on adipose tissue and muscle metabolism in growing pigs. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 100A, 9951002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stombaugh, DP & Grifo, AP Jr (1977) Heat production and respiratory quotient changes with food intake in swine. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 20, 954960.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sugahara, M, Baker, DH, Harmon, BG & Jensen, AH (1970) Effect of ambient temperature on performance and carcass development in young swine. Journal of Animal Science 31, 5962.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Milgen, J, Bernier, JF, Lecozler, Y, Dubois, S & Noblet, J (1998) Major determinants of fasting heat production and energy cost of activity in growing pigs of different body weight and breed/castration combination. British Journal of Nutrition 79, 509517.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Milgen, J, Noblet, J, Dubois, S & Bernier, JF (1997) Dynamic aspects of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production in swine. British Journal of Nutrition 78, 397410.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vermorel, M, Bouvier, J-C, Bonnet, Y & Fauconneau, G (1973) Construction et fonctionnement de 2 chambres respiratoires du type circuit ouvert pour jeunes bovins (Construction and operation of two open-circuit respiration chambers for young cattle). Annales de Biologie Animale, Biochimie, Biophysique 13, 659681.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xin, H & DeShazer, JA (1991) Swine response to constant and modified diurnal cyclic temperatures. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. 34, 25332540.CrossRefGoogle Scholar