Energy-Expenditure Rate of Prepartal Sows and Gilts

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Abstract
Energy-expenditure rate (EER) of six crossbred gilts and four crossbred, second-litter sows was measured at 5-min intervals, from about 110 days of gestation until farrowing, at an ambient temperature of either 20.5 C or 29.8 C. The animals averaged 183 kg body weight at 109 days postcoitum. A multiple-regression model, including an exponential function to describe time-lag of the open-curcuit indirect calorimeter used, and regression coefficients for sitting, standing, prepartal and eating activities, was fitted to EER measurements for each animal. Energy costs for sitting-up, sitting (min)-1, standing-up and standing (min)-1 were (mean ± SE): 4.22 ± 1.0, 1.95 ± 1.1, 5.83 ± 1.1 and 4.06 ± .6 kcal, respectively, and were affected by neither ambient temperature nor parity. These activities accounted for 19% of the mean EER of 210 kcal hr-1. Because prepartal behavioral activities, such as grunting, champing and nest-building, appeared to be energetically more expensive than sitting or standing quietly, a heat increment due to prepartal activity (HIPA) was included in the model. Near parturition, HIPA while sitting was (mean ± SE). 8.98 ± 2.2, 1.35 ± 1.2, -2.51 ± 1.0 and .65 ± 1.6 kcal (min)-1 for thermoneutral gilts (TG), thermoneutral sows (TS), heat-stressed gilts (HG) and heat-stressed sows (HS), respectively. This heat increment together with the EER for sitting (1.95 kcal min-1) represents the total energy expenditure for sitting in the prepartal female. Near farrowing, HIPA when standing was 3.77 ± .8 kcal (min)-1 and was unaffected by treatment. All activities near parturition combined to increase the mean EER by 99, 76, 64 and 74% for TG, TS, HG and HS, respectively. Diurnal waves in EER had amplitudes around ± 16 kcal hr-1 and generally peaked during late afternoon. The additional energy cost of eating was small. Copyright © 1978. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1978 by American Society of Animal Science.