Response of Growing-Finishing Swine to Different Housing Environments during Winter Seasons

Abstract

Three hundred and seventy-two growing-finishing swine were used to study the effects of housing environment on level of performance and carcass development. In each of three successive winter seasons littermate pigs were equally represented in each housing environment: enclosed and heated building, enclosed and unheated building or open-front buildings with a south exposure. In the heated building temperatures ranged from 16 to 24° C. during the growing periods and 10 to 25° C. during the finishing periods. Respective daily average temperatures were 21 and 18° C. Temperatures in the unheated enclosed building ranged from 1 to 24° C, average of about 12° C. Outside ambient temperatures ranged from −24 to 18° C, average of about −3° C. During the growing period (start to 50 kg.) feed intake in the open-front building was greater than that in the heated building. Rate and efficiency of gain, however, decreased with decrease in temperature. Although of lesser magnitude, similar trends were observed with the finishing pig. Differences in performance of pigs in the heated and unheated enclosed buildings varied between years, and the advantage of supplemental heat decreased as weight of animal and ambient temperature increased. In this study, neither physical carcass measurements nor total lean body mass as estimated by ⁴⁰K count were significantly affected by the housing environments. Copyright © 1969. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1969 by American Society of Animal Science