High ambient temperature decreases voluntary feed intake but does not increase backfat thickness in entire male finishing pigs
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
1995
Conference Title
Fifth Biennial Conference of the Australasian Pig Science Association (APSA)
Place of Publication
Canberra
ISBN
0 646 25622 x
ISSN
1324-9177
Keywords
High ambient temperature, Backfat, Pigs, Males, Diets
Disciplines
Agricultural Science | Agriculture | Animal Sciences | Food Science | Meat Science | Nutrition | Structural Biology
Abstract
Pigs grown in Australia are often subjected to high ambient temperatures during the summer months. High temperatures cause voluntary feed intake (VFI) to decrease as the pig attempts to maintain its body temperature and this often results in a decreased growth rate (Giles et al., 1988). High ambient temperatures may also cause backfat thickness to increase as a result of a decrease in the rate of protein accretion relative to fat accretion (Holmes, 1971). Diets high in fibre may exacerbate the problem because hindgut fermentation of fibre may add to the heat load of the pig. This experiment tested the hypotheses that (i) high ambient temperatures will reduce VFI and that the decrease will be larger with pigs fed a high-fibre diet than pigs fed a high-fat diet; and (ii) backfat thickness increases in pigs grown at high ambient temperatures, and that the increase can be reduced by substituting a diet high in fibre with an isoenergetic diet high in fat.
Recommended Citation
Irwin, D.P., Mullan, B.P., Revell, D.K., Smits, R.J., 1995. High ambient temperature decreases voluntary feed intake but does not increase backfat thickness in entire male finishing pigs. In “Manipulating Pig Production V”, eds., D.P Hennessey, P.D. Cranwell, Australasian Pig Science Association, Werribee, p. 199.
