Abstract
There is an urgent need to identify the effects of temperature on production traits. This study aimed to determine the impact of pig production in three environments (T°Cgrowing-°Cfattening-°Cfinishing = T24-24-21, T19-19-19, and T23-17-15) on growth curve parameters, body weight gain (DBWG), feed intake (DFI), and feed efficiency during the growing, fattening and finishing stages, and on carcass yield of primal cuts (ham, shoulder, and loin) in 158 Duroc × Iberian pigs. Maturation rate was higher in T23-17-15 than in T19-19-19 (P < 0.001). Pigs in T23-17-15 reached a lower mature body weight (P < 0.05). During the growing stage, pigs in T23-17-15 had higher DFI than those in T24-24-21 and T19-19-19 (P < 0.05); during the fattening stage, DFI was lowest in T24-24-21 (P < 0.001). In the growing stage, pigs had highest DBWG in the warmest environments (T24-24-21 and T23-17-15) and lowest in the coldest environment (T19-19-19; P < 0.001). Feed efficiency was highest in warmer environments (P < 0.01). Temperature T24-24-21 favored loin yield, T19-19-19 favored ham yield, and T23-17-15 favored shoulder yield (P < 0.01). The results imply a favorable effect of temperature on feed efficiency, however, possible negative implications for animal health and welfare should be considered.
Highlights
There is an urgent need to identify the effects of temperature on production traits
The negative implication of heat stress will likely become more of an issue if the frequency of severe hot weather increases as predicted;[7] in Spain, increased summer temperatures resulting from climate change are expected to jeopardize profitability of livestock production because of reduced production and increased levels of stress[8]
Equation 1 converged in 36 animals in T24-24-21, 27 animals in T19-19-19, and 29 animals in T23-17-15, i.e., in a total of 92 animals
Summary
This study aimed to determine the impact of pig production in three environments (T°Cgrowing-°Cfattening-°Cfinishing = T24-24-21, T19-19-19, and T23-17-15) on growth curve parameters, body weight gain (DBWG), feed intake (DFI), and feed efficiency during the growing, fattening and finishing stages, and on carcass yield of primal cuts (ham, shoulder, and loin) in 158 Duroc × Iberian pigs. The objective of the present study was to determine the impact of pig production in three seasons at different temperatures on growth curve parameters, body weight gain, feed intake, feed efficiency, and carcass yield of primal cuts (ham, shoulder, and loin). Whereas literature on trends in weight gain and feed intake in Duroc × Iberian pigs is scarce, to our knowledge this is the first study describing feed efficiency in this cross. To our knowledge it is one of few studies describing trends in weight gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency in pigs up to an advanced physiological age
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