Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T20:14:00.835Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A note on the critical temperature of the fasted and fed early-weaned pig

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. W. Jordan
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT9 5PX
A. McAllister
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX
S. T. C. Weatherup
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT9 5PX
Get access

Abstract

The heat production of fasted and fed littermate pairs of pigs weaned at 10, 17 and 24 days of age was determined between 16 to 34°C. Up to and including 34°C the post-weaning heat production of fasted pigs at 10 and 17 days of age decreased with rising temperature. Rectal temperatures of all 24-day-old fasted pigs were higher at 34°C than at 31°C. For fed pigs weaned at 10 days of age the heat production continued to decrease up to and including 34°C. The decrease between 28°C and 31°C and between 31°C and 34°C was comparatively small and rectal temperatures were slightly elevated at 34°C. The results indicated that for fed pigs weaned at 17 and 24 days the thermoneutral zone was in the region of 31°C and the lower critical temperatures were about 28°C.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1985

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

Brouwer, E. 1965. Report of sub-committee on constants and factors. In Energy Metabolism (ed. Blaxter, K. L.), pp. 441443. Academic Press, London.Google Scholar
Cairnie, A. B. and Pullar, J. D. 1957. The metabolism of the young pig. J. Physiol., Lond. 139: 15P.Google Scholar
Close, W. H. and Stanier, M. W. 1980. The energy requirements for growth in the early-weaned pig. In Energy Metabolism (ed. Mount, L. E.), pp. 399402. Butterworth, London.Google Scholar
Jordan, J. W. 1973. Studies on the energy metabolism of the early weaned pig. Ph.D. Thesis, Queen's Univ. Belfast.Google Scholar
Le Dividich, J., Vermorel, M., Noblet, J., Bouvier, J. C. and Aumaitre, A. 1980. Effects of environmental temperature on heat production, energy retention, protein and fat gain in early weaned piglets. Br. J. Nutr. 44: 313323.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCracken, K. J. and Caldwell, B. J. 1980. Studies on diurnal variations of heat production and the effective lower critical temperature of early-weaned pigs under commercial conditions of feeding and management. Br. J. Nutr. 43: 321328.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mount, L. E. 1960. The influence of huddling and body size on the metabolic rate of the young pig. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 55: 101105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mount, L. E. 1963. Environmental temperature preferred by the young pig. Nature, Lond. 199: 12121213.Google Scholar
Mount, L. E. 1968. The Climatic Physiology of the Pig. Edward Arnold, London.Google Scholar