Journal of Animal Science, Vol 79, Issue 6 1540-1548, Copyright © 2001 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Effects of exposure to high ambient temperature and dietary protein level on sow milk production and performance of piglets

D. Renaudeau and J. Noblet
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 35590 Saint Gilles, France.

The effects of high ambient temperature and level of dietary heat increment on sow milk production and piglet performance over a 28-d lactation were determined in 59 multiparous crossbred Large White x Landrace pigs kept at a thermoneutral (20 degrees C) or in a hot (29 degrees C) constant ambient temperature. Experimental diets fed during lactation were a control diet (NP; 17.6% CP) and two low-protein diets obtained by reduction of CP level (LP; 14.2% CP) or both reduction of CP and addition of fat (LPF; 15.2% CP); the NE:ME ratio was 74.3, 75.6, and 75.8% for NP, LP, and LPF diets, respectively. All diets provided 0.82 g of digestible lysine/MJ of NE, and ratios between essential AA and lysine were above recommendations. Creep feed was provided after d 21 of lactation. Reduction of CP level did not influence (P > 0.10) milk production, milk composition, or piglet performance. Despite higher nursing frequency (39 vs 34 sucklings per day), milk production decreased (P < 0.01) from 10.43 to 7.35 kg/d when temperature increased from 20 to 29 degrees C. At d 14, DM (18.6 vs 18.1%) and energy (4.96 vs 4.75 MJ/kg) contents in milk tended (P = 0.09) to be higher in sows kept at 29 degrees C. Over the 28-d lactation, piglet BW gain and BW at weaning decreased (P < 0.01) from 272 to 203 g/d and 9.51 to 7.52 kg, respectively, when temperature increased from 20 to 29 degrees C. Daily creep feed intake over the 4th wk of lactation was higher (P < 0.01) at 29 degrees C than at 20 degrees C (388 vs 232 g/litter, respectively), which was reflected in a greater increase in BW gain between wk 1 to 3 and wk 4 at the higher temperature (147 vs 130%); BW gain between weaning and d 14 postweaning was higher (P < 0.05) for piglets originating from sows kept at 29 degrees C (280 vs 218 g/d). In connection with their lower growth rate, DM (31.2 vs 33.0%), protein (15.5 vs 16.0%), lipid (12.3 vs 13.9%), and energy (8.39 vs 9.09 kJ/g) contents in weaned, slaughtered piglets were lower (P < 0.01) at 29 than at 20 degrees C. In conclusion, modification in the CP:NE ratio in order to decrease dietary heat increment did not affect milk production and piglet performance in thermoneutral or hot climatic conditions. Our results confirm the negative effect of high ambient temperatures on milk yield and emphasize the importance of creep feed supply to improve pre- and postweaning growth of piglets in these conditions, especially when weaning occurs after 3 wk of age.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. Chouaieb, A. Goriely, and J. H. Maddocks Helices PNAS, June 20, 2006; 103(25): 9398 - 9403. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. L. Gourdine, J. P. Bidanel, J. Noblet, and D. Renaudeau Effects of breed and season on performance of lactating sows in a tropical humid climate J Anim Sci, February 1, 2006; 84(2): 360 - 369. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Krol and J. R. Speakman Limits to sustained energy intake VII. Milk energy output in laboratory mice at thermoneutrality J. Exp. Biol., December 1, 2003; 206(23): 4267 - 4281. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. D. Spencer, R. D. Boyd, R. Cabrera, and G. L. Allee Early weaning to reduce tissue mobilization in lactating sows and milk supplementation to enhance pig weaning weight during extreme heat stress J Anim Sci, August 1, 2003; 81(8): 2041 - 2052. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. R. St-Pierre, B. Cobanov, and G. Schnitkey Economic Losses from Heat Stress by US Livestock Industries J Dairy Sci, July 1, 2003; 86(13_suppl): E52 - 77. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. P. McNamara and J. E. Pettigrew Protein and fat utilization in lactating sows: I. Effects on milk production and body composition J Anim Sci, September 1, 2002; 80(9): 2442 - 2451. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]