Abstract
ABSTRACT: We performed a two-stage experiment: a preference and a validation test in swine litters, to determine whether suckling piglets preferred alternative light colors in their creep area over white light; we also determined whether the preferred color affected piglet behavior. In the first stage, five trials of two consecutive days were performed, each at 21-day intervals. In each trial, 40 piglets, from three to five days old, from four F1 sows (Large White x Landrace), were distributed in four treatments, in a paired scheme, receiving the following treatments: Treatment GR: white light vs. green light ; Treatment BL: white light vs. blue light; Treatment YE: yellow light vs. white light; Treatment RD: white light vs. red light. For the validation test, three consecutive lots of eight F1 sows (Large White x Landrace) and their corresponding maternity were used, remaining from birth under the influence of treatments T_Gr and T_Wh, totaling three replicates. T_Gr corresponded to four creep areaswith green LED light and T_Wh to four nurseries with white LED light. The piglets showed a significant preference only for white over blue. Among the alternative colors, piglets significantly preferred green. In the validation stage, there was no significant effect of colors on the mean percentage of permanence of the piglets inside the creep areas over all evaluated periods. Piglets between two and five days of age prefer green lighting;however,in the creep area, the light color used did not influence piglet behavior.
Highlights
Nursing is considered one of the most critical phases of commercial pig farming, not least because of the high mortality rates among newborn piglets (LARSEN et al, 2017) attributable to the inability of the developing thermoregulatory system to maintain homeothermia(FERREIRA et al, 2007).Creep areas are used to prevent hypothermia, as they provide a warm environment without compromising piglet thermoregulation (XIN and ZHANG, 2006; LARSEN and PEDERSEN, 2015)
The experiment was conducted on an experimental swine farm located in the western region of Santa Catarina, Brazil; the experiment consisted of two steps: a preference test and a validation test in pig maternity
The rejection of blue and red light by the piglets differed from results of most studies involving discrimination and color preference in pigs
Summary
Nursing is considered one of the most critical phases of commercial pig farming, not least because of the high mortality rates among newborn piglets (LARSEN et al, 2017) attributable to the inability of the developing thermoregulatory system to maintain homeothermia(FERREIRA et al, 2007). Creep areas are used to prevent hypothermia, as they provide a warm environment without compromising piglet thermoregulation (XIN and ZHANG, 2006; LARSEN and PEDERSEN, 2015). During the first days after birth, time spent in a warm environment reduces the chances of being crushed by the mother(VASDAL et al, 2009). Newborn piglets are able to perceive auditory, olfactory, tactile and visual stimuli.(ROHDE. V.50, n.11, and GONYOU, 1991).it appears necessary to make these nursing shelters more attractive for piglets, as this would encourage them to access the area more often(VASDAL et al, 2010a). KITTAWORNRATand ZIMMERMAN (2010) reported that, despite the fact that pigs have some ability to discriminate colors, there is little information regarding their visible spectrum and even less regarding the impact of color on piglet behavior
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