OPERANT HEAT DEMAND OF PIGLETS HOUSED ON FOUR DIFFERENT FLOORS

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Abstract
Four groups of six 28-d-old piglets (three male, three female) were assigned in a Latin square design to each of four floors, bedded concrete, bare concrete, perforated metal or raised rubber-coated metal. Each pen was equipped with a microswitch which, when pushed, turned on three 250-W infrared lamps suspended 42 m above the floor. Each group of piglets remained on each floor for 48 h and the same groups were used for a second replicate. This approach was repeated with different groups of piglets at temperatures of 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 °C. Behavior regarding activation of the microswitch was monitored by the use of a video cassette recorder. Light at 180 lx was provided continuously. On bedded concrete, piglets demanded approximately 3 min less heat per hour (P < 0.05) than on any other floor and on perforated metal demanded approximately 3 min more heat per hour (P < 0.05) than on any other floor. Supplemental heat on bare concrete was similar to that of raised rubber-coated metal. From the results it was established that the effective environmental temperature on bedded concrete is 3 °C warmer than that for bare concrete or raised rubber-coated metal and 6 °C warmer than perforated metal. Piglets showed diurnal variation in heat demand. Key words: Piglets, operant, thermal regulation

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