Effects of Increasing Heat Loss on Some Physiological Parameters Of Farrowing Sows Under Tropical Climate

Abstract

            Sixteen large White sows were allocated randomly onto 4 treatments in a Completely Randomised Designed (CRD) experiment with 4 replicates. The treatment were Treatment 1: Control – normal farrowing pens, Treatment 2:normal farrowing pens with electric fan, Treatment 3:normal farrowing pens with dripper and Treatment 4:mormal farrowing pens with electric fan and dripper.

              The result revealed that respiration rate of the sows in Treatment 1 (128.76 breaths/min.) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of the sows in other treatments. The respiration rate of the sows in Treatment 4 (70.97 breaths/min.) was significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of the other treatments except those in Treatment 3 (86.64 breaths/min.). The heart rate of the sows in Treatment 3 (82.90 beats/min.) was significantly lower than those found in Treatment 1 (89.04 beats/min.) and Treatment 2 (88.59 beats/min.). Both skin and rectal temperatures of the sows in Treatment 1 (39.23 and 40.25^oC, respectively) were significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of the sows in all other treatments.

               Furthermore, the results revealed that both respiration rate and skin temperature of all the sows during the period of 1 week prior to parturition were significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of the other periods post parturition. There was no significant difference in heart rate among the observed periods. The rectal temperature of the sows during the 1 week period prior to parturition (39.02^oC) was significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of the other periods post parturition. The rectal temperature of the sows during the 1 st week post parturition (39.69^oC) was significantly lower (P<0.05) than that of the 3rd week post parturition (39.94^oC). There was no significant difference (P>0.05) among rectal temperature of all the sows in 2nd , 3rd and 4th weeks post parturition. It was concluded that heat stress in a farrowing sow may be alleviated by dripper with or without fan. The elevated metabolic rate may be associated with milk production activities of the sow.