TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of infrared temperature on thermoregulatory behaviour in suckling piglets
AU - Vasdal, G.
AU - Wheeler, E. F.
AU - Bøe, K. E.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Norwegian Research Council. We gratefully acknowledge Arne Svendsen for his help with constructing the experimental creep areas, and Andreas Flø for his help with the temperature sensor software. We would also like to thank Dr Inger Lise Andersen for valuable comments on the manuscript, and Dr Geir Steinheim for valuable help with the statistical analyses.
PY - 2009/10
Y1 - 2009/10
N2 - The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of infrared (IR) temperature on thermoregulatory behaviour in suckling piglets in the first 3 weeks after farrowing. A total of 10 piglets from each of the 16 litters were exposed to recommended IR temperature conditions at 1, 2 and 3 weeks of age, with a mild offset (4°C) in IR temperature during the first experiment and a more challenging offset (8°C) during the second experiment. Digital photos were taken when all piglets had settled in the creep area, and the lying posture and huddling behaviour were analysed. A lying posture score and a huddling score was calculated by multiplying the number of piglets in each category with a given value for each category, based on different lying postures and different degrees of huddling behaviour. With a 4°C change in IR temperature, the piglets tended to alter their lying posture, while an 8°C change had a significant effect on lying posture (P < 0.01). A change in IR temperature of 4°C had no effect on the degree of huddling. The huddling score decreased significantly with 8°C change in IR temperature (P < 0.05). Postural changes, rather than changes in degree of huddling were the preferred thermoregulatory strategy for suckling piglets.
AB - The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of infrared (IR) temperature on thermoregulatory behaviour in suckling piglets in the first 3 weeks after farrowing. A total of 10 piglets from each of the 16 litters were exposed to recommended IR temperature conditions at 1, 2 and 3 weeks of age, with a mild offset (4°C) in IR temperature during the first experiment and a more challenging offset (8°C) during the second experiment. Digital photos were taken when all piglets had settled in the creep area, and the lying posture and huddling behaviour were analysed. A lying posture score and a huddling score was calculated by multiplying the number of piglets in each category with a given value for each category, based on different lying postures and different degrees of huddling behaviour. With a 4°C change in IR temperature, the piglets tended to alter their lying posture, while an 8°C change had a significant effect on lying posture (P < 0.01). A change in IR temperature of 4°C had no effect on the degree of huddling. The huddling score decreased significantly with 8°C change in IR temperature (P < 0.05). Postural changes, rather than changes in degree of huddling were the preferred thermoregulatory strategy for suckling piglets.
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U2 - 10.1017/S1751731109990309
DO - 10.1017/S1751731109990309
M3 - Article
C2 - 22444940
AN - SCOPUS:70350454893
SN - 1751-7311
VL - 3
SP - 1449
EP - 1454
JO - Animal
JF - Animal
IS - 10
ER -