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Baert S, Aubé L, Haley DB, Bergeron R, Devillers N. The protective role of wallowing against heat stress in gestating and lactating sows housed outdoors. Physiol Behav 2022; 254:113898. [PMID: 35792155 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to describe the physiological response of gestating and lactating sows to naturally-occurring environmental conditions, and to identify factors that may contribute to or prevent heat stress, while being kept outdoors in Québec, Canada during the summer. Six groups of 4 Yorkshire-Landrace sows lived in outdoor pens equipped with a wallow, shade structure, farrowing huts and access to a pasture from July to September, 2018. Between week 15 of gestation and week 3 of lactation (inclusive), we recorded the location of each sow 5 days/week during 5 daily 15-min observation periods, and additionally measured the sow's respiratory rate and mud cover at the end of each observation period. Simultaneously, we collected sow body temperature data with vaginal temperature loggers 24h/d on week 15 of gestation and week 2 of lactation, and monitored environmental conditions with temperature and humidity loggers to calculate the temperature humidity index (THI). Sows had significantly higher and more variable body temperatures during lactation compared to gestation (P≤0.0001), and when THI was analyzed as a continuous variable, it was positively associated with sow body temperature during the night in lactation. During gestation, neither respiratory rate nor body temperature were associated with high or low levels of THI (P=0.15 and 0.79, respectively) or mud cover (P=0.29 and 0.94, respectively). However, in lactation, respiratory rate was higher when, simultaneously, THI exceeded 74 and mud cover was low (P=0.006), while a THI higher than 74 and a low mud cover had independent effects on body temperature (P=0.012 and 0.004, respectively). In lactation, sows that spent an entire observation period in the farrowing hut also had a higher respiratory rate than sows that left the hut at least once (P=0.009). In summary, lactating sows were more likely to show increases in respiratory rate and body temperature in warmer conditions than gestating sows, and our findings also suggest that time in the farrowing hut may be a risk factor for heat stress. However, mud cover may limit these physiological consequences when sows have access to a wallow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Baert
- Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, 2000 College Street, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada, J1M 1Z3; Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Gordon Street & College Avenue West, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1.
| | - Lydiane Aubé
- Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, 2000 College Street, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada, J1M 1Z3.
| | - Derek B Haley
- Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Gordon Street & College Avenue West, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1.
| | - Renée Bergeron
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1.
| | - Nicolas Devillers
- Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, 2000 College Street, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada, J1M 1Z3.
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Schild SLA, Baxter EM, Pedersen LJ. A review of neonatal mortality in outdoor organic production and possibilities to increase piglet survival. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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