EFFECT OF BODY COOLING ON FEED INTAKE AND FEED CONVERSION EFFICIENCY OF HAMPSHIRE PIGS DURING SUMMER1

Abstract

condition, thermal
EFFECT OF BODY COOLING ON FEED INTAKE AND FEED CONVERSION
EFFICIENCY OF HAMPSHIRE PIGS DURING SUMMER1
K. BORUAH; J. SAHARIA2; A. K. GOGOI3; B. N. SAIKIA4; S. K. LASKAR5 AND M. C. BORAH6
Department of Livestock Production and Management
College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University
Khanapara, Guwahati-781022
Received: 18.07.2015 Accepted: 20.10.2015
ABSTRACT
An experiment was carried out at 30-sow Teaching Unit, College of Veterinary Science,
AAU, Khanapara Campus for a period of four months (May 2014 to August 2014) to find out
the effect of body cooling on the feed intake and feed conversion efficiency of Hampshire
pigs during the summer seasons. Total twenty numbers of pregnant sows was taken for the
experiment of second and third parity and each group comprises ten numbers of pregnant
sows. Both Control(C) and Treatment (T) groups were provided same feeding standard in
the farm. Sprinkling of water on the body of sows was practiced during the hotter part of the
day in the treatment group. In the experiment period mean, environmental temperature,
relative humidity and THI were taken into account. Results showed that Temperature ranged
from 27.44 ± 0.43 to 33.76 ± 0.37 ºC, Relative humidity 71.49 ± 1.77 to 95.58 ± 0.71% and
THI 78.49 ± 0.53 to 88.37 ± 0.49 respectively during the experimental period. The overall
feed consumption and feed conversion efficiency (FCE) of the sows was recorded to be
32.22 ± 0.07 and 34.51 ± 0.09 kg and 5.46 ± 0.053 and 5.46 ± 0.059 for control and
treatment groups respectively. Statistical analysis revealed significant difference (P <0.01) for
feed intake of sows but no significant difference was observed for FCE between the control
and the experimental groups.
Key words: Hampshire, sprinklers, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency