Effect of supplemental heat for baby pigs

Abstract

During the summer, 24 sows (first weaning), from the breeds, Duroc Jersey, Wessex Saddleback and “Piau Canastra”, and his litters were used to evaluate the effects of supplemental heat (lamp 250 watts infra red brood). Heat lamp was removed from the farrowing area at 3 days post partum. The farrowing houses were located in Itapeva Recherché and Development Unit (Swine Experimental Station), at 684 meters above the sea, 23º 58’56”, sud latitude, and 48º 52’ 32” west. Longitude. There was no artificial temperature control in forrowing house and the means of temperature and relative humidity were 23ºC and 76%, respectively.  A complete randomized design was utilized with 4 replicates and 6 treatments in 3 ´ 2 factorials. The factors were: breeds (Duroc, Wessex and Piau) and supplemental heat (with and without infra red lamp).The results showed that: 1) No significant differences at the 5% probability level were observed in baby pig survivals up to 5 days after birth, between and inside breeds, with or without supplemental heat; 2) The litters from native breed (Piau Canastra), presented a trend to have lower weight gain up to 5 days after birth than the exotics, however, only Wessex breed weight gain litters was significantly (P<0,05), heavier than the Piau Canastra breed weight gain litters; 3) The litters from exotics breeds (Duroc and Wessex) , that received supplemental heat  presented  move weight gain up to 5 days after birth than those did not received and this gain was significant at the 5% probability level; and 4) The differs from native breed with or without supplemental heat did not presented a significant (P<0,05) from the weight gain up to 5 days after birth.