Physiological response of swine to cycling environmental conditions

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Rectal and surface temperatures, and respiration and pulse rates, were obtained for groups of Duroc pigs that were exposed to air temperatures that varied sinusoidally over a 24-hour period. Two groups averaging 37 and 108 kg were exposed to a constant temperature of 21·1°C and then to temperatures that cycled about a mean of 21·1°C (15·6–26·7°C, 10·0–32·2°C, and 4·4–37·8°C). For a third group averaging 53 kg, the minimum was always near 21·1°C, and the maximum air temperature of the cycle was 33·2, 42·5 or 48·8°C. The response of rectal and surface temperatures, and pulse and respiration rates, to the various 24-hour cycling air temperatures are discussed and com-pared with inherent daily fluctuations in these responses that are present even when there is no variation in air temperature.