The Heat Production of Groups of Young Pigs Exposed to Reflective or Non-Reflective Surfaces on Walls and Ceilings

Abstract

ABSTRACT At low temperatures heat lost as infrared radiation from the sur-faces of the pig to the surfaces sur-rounding it can account for 50 to 80 percent of its non-evaporative losses (Mount 1964). In addition Joyce, Blaxter and Park (1966) demonstrated that the total heat production of sheep exposed to low ambient temperatures was reduced significantly when mea-surements were made in a chamber with shiny interior surfaces, com-pared with measurements in a cham-ber with dull interior surfaces. It therefore seemed probable that the recent use of shiny aluminum foil as a lining material on the interior surfaces within pig houses could affect the heat balance of pigs in the houses. The present work was carried out to measure the heat produced by groups of young pigs during exposures in two chambers designed as small scale pig pens; one was lined with dull surfaces, the other was lined with shiny, reflective surfaces. Mea-surements were made at a warm and a cold temperature.