Introduction systems of swine production in the tropics, could be
Livestock Production Science 66 2000 223–234 www.elsevier.com locate livprodsci
Adverse effects of tropical climate on voluntary feed intake and performance of growing pigs
a , b
b
Dominique Rinaldo , J. Le Dividich , J. Noblet
a
´ Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique
, Unite de Recherches Zootechniques, 97170 Petit-Bourg, Guadeloupe, F.W.I
b
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique , Station de Recherches Porcines, 35590, Saint Gilles, France
Received 24 July 1998; received in revised form 16 December 1999; accepted 31 January 2000
Abstract
Four replicates were conducted to determine the effects of tropical climate and season on voluntary feed intake and performance of pigs and their carcass characteristics at 90 kg, as compared to a control environment CE. CE was
characterized by ambient temperature of 208C and relative humidity RH of 75. Under tropical climate, ambient temperature averaged 24.68C and RH 84 during the cool season CTC and 27.38C and 82 during the warm season
WTC respectively. Ninety-six Large White pigs were used between 15 and 35 kg live weight P1 and, as 36 of them were slaughtered at 35 kg, the remaining pigs were used from 35 to 90 kg P2. In the CTC, neither voluntary feed intake, nor
average daily gain, feed:gain ratio or carcass characteristics significantly differed from CE in P1 and P2 pigs. In the WTC, the 13 decline in feed intake of P2 pigs P , 0.001 induced a 13 diminution in growth rate P , 0.05. In the WTC, fat
percentage of the carcass was reduced by 3.2 units P , 0.001, whereas less fat was deposited in backfat P , 0.001 and more fat retained in leaf fat P , 0.001, as compared to the CTC. Also in the WTC, the reduction in the weight of internal
organs led to a 1.8 unit improvement in killing-out percentage P , 0.001. Data indicated that in the tropics, growth performance varied with the season and that during the warm season feed intake was a major limiting factor to growth rate.
2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords : Pig-feeding and nutrition; Environment; Tropics; Feed intake; Performance; Carcass characteristics