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Feeding Patterns Of Growing Pigs At Warm Constant And Cyclic Temperatures
Transactions of the ASAE (1992)
  • Hongwei Xin, University of Arkansas
  • James A. DeShazer, University of Idaho
Abstract
Feeding behavior of ad libitum-fed^ 39-kg, crossbred gilts was investigated under mean ambient temperatures of 30.8° C with 0, 7, and 16.6° C cycles. Average meal size, 160 to 170 g/pig; meal duration, 13.3 to 14.3 min; and ingestion rate, 12.2 g/min-pig did not appear to be influenced by the temperature conditions. However, meal frequency, 9 to 11 per day, tended to be reduced by elevated hours of exposure to high temperatures. Consequently daily feed intake of the pigs was signiflcantly less in the 16.6° C cycle treatment than in the 0 or 7° C cycle treatments (P<0.01). Feed consumed during the lighting period (0600 h to 2100 h) accounted for 75%, 61%, and 37% of daily feed intake for the 0, 7, and 16.6° C cycle treatments, respectively. Pigs under the 0° C cycle had most feeding activities in the afternoon and evening (55% of daily feed intake). In contrast, pigs under the 16.6° C cycle had most feeding events at night and early morning (91 % of daily feed intake).
Keywords
  • Feed intake,
  • Temperatures,
  • Swine
Publication Date
1992
Publisher Statement
Copyright 1992 American Society of Agricultural Engineers. Posted with permission.
Citation Information
Hongwei Xin and James A. DeShazer. "Feeding Patterns Of Growing Pigs At Warm Constant And Cyclic Temperatures" Transactions of the ASAE Vol. 35 Iss. 1 (1992)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/hongwei_xin/230/