Operant heat demand of piglets housed on four different floors

Four groups of six 28-day-old piglets (three male, three female) were assigned 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 cm 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 degrees C. Behaviour regarding activation of the microswitch was monitored by the use of a video cassette recorder. Light at 180 lux was provided continuously. On bedded concrete, piglets demanded approximately 3 min less heat per hour than on any other floor and on perforated metal demanded approximately 3 min more heat per hour 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 degrees C warmer than that for bare concrete or raised rubber-coated metal and 6 degrees C warmer than perforated metal. Piglets showed diurnal variation in heat demand..RE: 5 ref.; SC: ZA; CA; VE; BE; 0V; 0I; 7D; 8A; 0NSource type: Electronic(1