010—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 21,1984
Tips to minimize
hog heat stress
ST. LOUIS, MO. - Swine
producers should take necessary
precautions this summer to avoid
heat induced problems in their
growing and finishing units, say
two industry specialists.
“Especially as swine grow older,
they become progressively
susceptible to hot surroundings,”
contends Stan Curtis, professor of
animal science at the University of
Illinois in Urbana, in his 1983
report of swine heat stress. “This
susceptibility affects the per
formance of growing and finishing
swine by lowering their feed intake
and growth rates and increasing
the required metabolizable energy
concentration of the diet,” he
reveals.
Curtis notes that the en
vironmental temperature range of
64 to 70 F has been found optimal
for growing and finishing hogs’,
productive performance. “For
each degree above 70 F, growing
finishing hogs typically take in 60
to 100 grams less feed and gain 35-
60 grams less body weight daily,”
he says.
One reason hogs go off feed in hot
weather is because the digestive
process further increases body
temperature, notes Larry DeGoey,
swine researcher for Ralston
Purina Company. To minimize this
reduction in feed intake, he says,
producers should make several
dietary and environmental
alterations, instead of “waiting
out” hot spells and suffering the
consequences.
“First, to get hogs eating again
and maintain energy intake,
producers should feed high fat,
high energy rations, which lower
the diet’s heat increment, causing
less heat production during
digestion,” DeGoey points out.
“Such rations reduce the heat load
on heat stressed hogs, permitting
them to maintain intake even
during hot weather. ’ ’
High energy rations such as
Purina High Octane Hog Grower
or Finisher Chow, he says, provide
grower-finisher hogs with the
nutrients and energy necessary
during hot weather, but without
higher levels of heat-producing
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fiber. These high energy rations
are also amino acid-balanced to
meet protein requirements, he
adds, and have proved ad
vantageous in terms of swine
performance in hot weather.
Besides dietary alterations,
Curtis adds that several en
vironmental changes can help
reduce the negative impacts of hot
environments on the performance
of growing/fimshing swine.
“These include increasing air
speed and sprinkling water over
the animals at a rate of one minute
per hour when air temperature
exceeds 70 F,” he details.
“Evaporative cooling, too, has also
proved effective in relieving peak
mid-day heat stress,” Curtis says.
Providing growing and finishing
hogs with adequate drinking water
will also help maintain body
temperature during hot weather.
“Because hogs don’t sweat, they
depend on evaporation from their
respiratory tract and lungs to
maintain body temperature, and
can lose a great deal of water by
this process,” DeGoey explains.
Daily summertime water needs
can be as much as: 3 gal/day for
growing swine and 4 gal/day for
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Warwick cites new washer
HAGERSTOWN, Md. - M/L
Warwick of Hagerstown, Md.
announces a new addition to their
line of products the P-160 Cold
Water Power Washer!
The P-160 is designed for fast,
efficient removal of mud, dirt,
grease, oil, and grime. This
completely portable unit operates
independent of any electrical
source, relying on its rugged 8.5
HP engine for power.
The P-160 offers a unique direct
drive pump that can’t be damaged
by running dry, with an average
20,000 hour working life. Besides
its sturdy steel construction and
handling ease, the P-160 offers high
pressure cleaning up to 2,400 psi @
4gpm!
Warwick’s proven durability
makes the P-160 an excellent
choice for rental stores, farms,
finishing swine.
While producers have no control
over summer weather, the
researchers agree, they do have
control over their swines’ en
vironment and should take the
necessary steps to ensure this
environment is as cool and com
fortable as possible.
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