Effect of temperature on the production performance of growing-finishing pigs

Growing-finishing pigs have a certain adaptability to the ambient temperature of the pig house, but because of their special sebaceous characteristics and their relatively simple and limited ways of dissipating heat and maintaining body temperature, ambient temperatures in the pig house that are too high, too low, or alternating between cold and heat can all cause growing-finishing pigs to develop various diseases such as respiratory syndrome, pale scours, and other nutritional deficiency diseases, seriously affecting the production performance of growing-finishing pigs.

Negative effects of heat stress in summer on the productivity of growing-finishing pigs. Heat stress has a relatively serious impact on growing-finishing pigs; excessively high temperatures can cause a decline in their feed intake, slow weight gain, and even increase the incidence of acute sudden death syndrome in growing-finishing pigs, with mortality increasing, such as deaths caused by gastrointestinal bleeding, acute gastric torsion, and acute heart and lung diseases, bringing huge losses to the productivity of growing-finishing pigs. At the same time, excessively high temperatures also easily breed bacteria in the pig house, increasing the incidence of disease in growing-finishing pigs. Some reports suggest that heat stress has a serious impact on breeding sows, especially often causing decreased ovarian function in sows, manifested as sows not coming into estrus, a decline in the conception rate after mating, an increase in the abortion rate, an increase in the number of stillbirths in late gestation, and even abortion. Heat stress often leads to a reduction in the litter size and the number of live piglets born per litter of sows by 1 to 2 piglets. The feed intake of lactating sows decreases, the milk yield of sows decreases, milk supply is insufficient, piglets grow poorly, and they are prone to yellow and white scours and other nutritional deficiency diseases, resulting in a low survival rate of suckling piglets and low weaning weight, etc. Boars show weakened libido, reduced semen volume, decreased sperm motility, and a decline in the proportion of live sperm to the total sperm count.

Negative effects of excessively low temperatures in the pig house on the productivity of growing-finishing pigs. In cold seasons, because the temperature is relatively low, growing-finishing pigs, due to the simplicity of their sebaceous glands and digestive and respiratory systems, are prone to various respiratory diseases and intestinal digestive diseases, etc. Unstable temperatures, dryness and humidity in the pig house environment, and ventilation and other factors can easily cause respiratory diseases in growing-finishing pigs, with the main clinical manifestations being coughing, wheezing, and accelerated breathing; body temperature is generally not high, appetite is sometimes good and sometimes poor, and growth and development are stunted. Some acute respiratory diseases can lead to death. In addition, excessively low temperatures can also easily cause diarrhea in pigs, mainly manifested as complex and diverse causes, a relatively long disease course, and varying severity, often causing batch deaths of suckling piglets and even nursery piglets, rapid loss of fat in growing-finishing pigs, and immediate reduction (drying up) of milk in breeding sows, with very serious harm, seriously affecting the productivity of finishing pigs.

Finally, alternating cold and heat, sudden changes in temperature, and instability also affect the productivity of growing-finishing pigs to a certain extent.