This study was conducted to evaluate whether cooled floor-pads combined with chilled drinking-water could alleviate negative impacts of heat stress on lactating sows. Thirty sows (Landrace × Yorkshire, Parity = 1 to 6) were housed in individual farrowing stalls in two rooms with temperatures being controlled at 29.4°C (0700 h to 1900 h) and 23.9°C (1900 h to 0700 h). Sows in one room (Cool), but not in the other room (Control) were provided cooled floor pads (21 to 22°C) and chilled drinking water (13 to 15°C). Behavior of sows (15 sows/treatment) was video-recorded during farrowing, and days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 after farrowing. Videos were viewed continuously to register birth time of each piglet, from which total farrowing duration and birth intervals were calculated. The number of drinking-bouts and duration of each drinking-bout were registered for each sow through viewing videos continuously for 2 h (1530 h to 1730 h) each video-recording day. Postures (lying laterally, lying ventrally, sitting, and standing) were recorded by scanning video-recordings at 5-min intervals for 24 h each video-recording day, and time budget for each posture was calculated. Rectal temperature and respiration rate were measured for all sows the day before and after farrowing, and then once weekly. Sow and litter performance was recorded. Data were analyzed using the Glimmix procedure of SAS. The cooling treatment did not affect sow behavior or litter performance. Sows in the Cool room had lower rectal temperature (P = 0.03) and lower respiration rate (P < 0.001), consumed more feed (P = 0.03), tended to have reduced weight loss (P = 0.07) and backfat loss (P = 0.07) during lactation than sows in the Control room. As lactation progressed, sows increased drinking frequency (P < 0.001) and time spent lying ventrally (P < 0.0001), standing (P < 0.001), and sitting (P < 0.0001), and decreased time spent lying laterally (P < 0.0001) in both Cool and Control rooms. While cooled floor pads combined with chilled drinking water did not affect sow behavior, they did alleviate heat stress partially, as indicated by decreased rectal temperature, respiration rate, weight and backfat loss, and increased feed intake in lactating sows.
This study was conducted to evaluate effects of chilled drinking water and cooled floor pads on behavior of lactating sows under heat stress. Sows were housed in individual farrowing stalls in two rooms with temperatures being controlled at 29.4°C (0700h to 1900h) and 23.9°C (1900h to 0700h). Sows in one room (treatment), but not in the other room (control) were provided with chilled drinking water (13 to 15°C) and cooled floor pads (15 to 18°C). Behavior of sows (n=15 sows/treatment; parity=1 to 6) was video recorded during farrowing, and d 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 after farrowing. Videos were viewed to register birth time of each piglet. Number of drinking bouts and duration of each bout were registered for 2 h (1530h to 1730h) each day after farrowing. Postures (lying laterally, lying ventrally, sitting, and standing) were recorded by scanning video-recordings at 5-min intervals for 24 h each day after farrowing, and time budget for each posture was calculated. Data were analyzed using the Glimmix Procedure of SAS. No effect of treatment was detected for litter size born, farrowing duration, or birth interval (P >0.33; Table 1). Neither frequency nor duration of drinking bouts was affected by treatment (P >0.27). No significant difference was observed in time budget for each posture (P >0.46) between treatment and control groups. As lactation progressed, sows increased drinking frequency (from 1.2 drinks/2h on d 1 to 4.9 drinks/2h on d 21; P< 0.001) and time spent lying ventrally (8% to 14%; P< 0.0001), standing (4% to 10%; P< 0.001), and sitting (2% to 4%; P< 0.0001), and decreased time spent lying laterally (86% to 67%; P< 0.0001) in both control and treatment rooms. These results indicate that chilled drinking water and cooled floor pads did not affect behavior of sows during farrowing and lactation in the current study.
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