Sows subjected to heatstress produce low quality piglets!

Publicatiedatum: 17-06-2019

It is well known that warm summers cause heat stress in pigs. However, assessing the future consequences appears to be much more difficult. Some of the problems only surface when the summer has already long been forgotten. The heat in Holland of last year resulted in weak and fewer piglets per litter, more pre-weaning mortality and a greatly reduced fertility in sows (decrease in farrowing rate by 3% - Agrovision)

When does heat stress in pigs occur?

The occurrence of heat stress depends not only on the temperature but on the relative humidity too. In Dutch circumstances (humidity 70–75%) it becomes problematic at 26 °C. Ambient temperature and humidity are the key factors for recognizing this problem, so make sure that these two values ​​are well known in the stable!

 

The effects of heat stress in pigs

Pigs aren’t able to sweat and can only lose heat through their muzzle or through direct contact with colder materials. When acute heat stress occurs (33 °C), even for over a period of only 24 hours, the heartbeat accelerates and the animal starts to breathe quickly and superficially. They become lethargic, refuse to eat and become dehydrated. The blood is sent to the skin to cool down as much as possible. Like this the intestine receives less blood flow, suffers damage and it becomes permeable to bacteria and toxins. This causes inflammation or infection, possibly resulting in death.

During periods of chronic heat stress (longer periods of elevated temperatures, 27°C), the decline in feed intake is the major problem. Sows will give less milk and will lose too much weight during lactation. This has negative consequences for the current litter, future fertility and the future litter size. If reduced feeding continues in the gestation period, it will also influence the birth weight of the future piglets in a negative way. In addition, the seasonal infertility during the fall also plays a role. Sows are difficultly coming into heat at the end of summer or at the beginning of the fall.

How to prevent heat stress in pigs

Local cooling systems (drip cooling, floor and muzzle cooling) are more effective than attempts to reduce the entire stable temperature. In the farrowing stable, an ambient temperature being too low causes stress with young piglets. It goes without saying that the ventilation must be properly adjusted and maintained. Incoming air can also be cooled and the population in the barn can be reduced. Cooling of the drinking water is also a possibility and tests show that it can contribute to a higher feed intake in lactating sows

Equally important is to prevent the decline in feed intake. Feeding occurs best during the cool moments of the day with a high energetic feed. Adjust the fiber and crude protein content too because their digestion produces a lot of excessive heat. Milk production decreases during heat stress, so piglets receive less nutrients and risk to be dehydrated. Products such as Lianol Basdiar not only promote the digestion of milk in the piglet, but also provide sufficient rehydration.

Another dietary supplement, Lianol Ferti, helps sows to limit the effects of heat stress. Lianol has a positive effect on the physiological structure of the intestinal cells and has a regulatory effect on the immune system too. For example, infections penetrating the tight junctions are less likely to occur. Trials also show that Ferti prevents the negative influence of heat stress on fertility. "Don’t reserve but let them farrow" is a slogan that certainly will stand coming summer! For any kind of information, please contact us and discover the added value of the Lianol range for yourself.

Looking for more information about these products? Please contact us:

T: +31 3 64 86 15 05
info@ardol.nl


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