Pig performance

1. PERFORMANCE OF PIGS WHEN THEY ARE
INTRODUCED FROM TEMPERATE CLIMATE
TO A TROPICAL CLIMATE
PRESENTED BY – NEELAM PUROHIT
PRESENTED BY – DR. DK MANDAL
. PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST ,ERS, NDRI

2. INTRODUCTION
• High ambient temperature (T) is one of the most important climatic factors influencing pig performance.
• When pig introduced in temperate to tropical climate it can affect pig metabolism, health, and welfare,
leading to reduced growth and significant economic losses.
• . Pig performance is reduced during Heat Stress (HS) mainly due to their reduced voluntary feed intake as a
mean to lower metabolic heat production.
• The components of the thermohygric complex (air temperature, humidity, and speed) affect directly and
indirectly pig production in the tropics.
• . This is intended to meet the demand for effectivating pig production in the tropics through improving the
microclimatic rearing conditions and abolishing or reducing the thermal stress for the pigs in tropical
production locations.

3. EFFECT ON PIG PERFORMANCE WHEN THEY ARE INTRODUCED
FROM A TEMPERATE CLIMATE TO A TROPICAL CLIMATE
Feeding
Animal
physiology
Bacon
quality
Sperm
production
Prolificacy

4. EFFECT ON ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY:
• Pigs are particularly prone to heat stress due to the lack of functional sweat glands and
skin insulation provided by the subcutaneous fat in the former.
• Subcutaneous fat is located under the skin of animals and accounts for the largest
amount of fat in the pork carcass .
• Addition, the pig's relatively small lung capacity does not allow it to effectively
control its internal temperature by panting during significant heat exposure.

5. EFFECT ON FEEDING :
• Tropical conditions affect feeding behaviour traits:
• Animals had more meals per day but these meals were smaller both in duration and in
size, resulting in lower daily feed intake and less time eating per day.
• The feeding behaviour traits measured with automated feeders and included :
Daily feed intake
Daily eating time feeding rate
 Daily number of meals
Feed intake per meal
 Feeding time per meal.

6. EFFECT ON BACON QUALITY
• Animals subjected to chronic heat stress, have reduced muscle glycogen stores resulting
in dark, firm and dry (DFD) meat with high ultimate ph.
• Decreased growth, carcass lipid quality, and bacon quality in pigs housed at
temperatures above the thermoneutral zone

7. EFFECT ON SPERM PRODUCTION :
• Extreme environmental changes create stress in animals and influence the
production of spermatozoa
• High temperatures during hot summer months may result in lower feed
consumption and create stresses that result in the inhibition of spermatogenesis.
• Evaporative cooling systems built into boar accommodation are often used to
reduce fluctuations in both temperature and humidity during the hot and humid
months seen in tropical countries.

8. EFFECT ON PROLIFICACY OF PIGS :
• Exposure of male and female pigs to elevated ambient temperatures can result in reduced
reproductive efficiency.
• During early pregnancy, gilts are especially susceptible to heat stress.
• Decreased conception rates and reduced litter size occur when gilts are exposed to
elevated ambient temperature during Days 0 to 16 after mating.

9. EFFECT ON PROLIFICACY OF PIGS :
• In heat stressed gilt –
• Concentrations of progesterone in peripheral plasma reduced after mating and luteal
function is extended in heat-stressed gilts that do not conceive properly.
• Increased concentrations of oestradiol during Day 10 to 12 of heat stress may interfere
with normal maternal recognition of pregnancy.
• Heat stress reduced the amount of embryonic tissue present at Day 16 of pregnancy but
the protein synthetic activity of the tissue not altered.
• Thus some embryos may be lost and a reduction in litter size may occur.

10. Thank you