Scholarlink

<p>Automation <!--Query ID="Q1" Text="Please check and confirm that the authors and their respective affiliations have been correctly identified and amend if necessary." Resolved="yes"-->and environmental control offer solutions to enhance animal welfare and production efficiency in regions with adverse climates. This study aimed to develop a prototype for thermal environment control in finishing swine pens located in a semi-arid region and to evaluate its performance based on microclimatic traits, physiological responses, animal performance, and thermographic aspects of both the facility and the animals. The experiment involved thirty finishing gilts (Duroc × Large White crossbreeds), grouped by age and weight into three treatments (each with 10 animals per experimental unit). The automated thermal control treatments applied were: (1) no thermal control, (2) automatic activation of a micro-sprinkling system, and (3) automatic activation of micro-sprinkling combined with ventilation. Environmental conditions in all treatments failed to reach optimal thermal comfort levels for finishing pigs, due to the semi-arid characteristics of the region. However, the thermal control treatments reduced floor temperatures by approximately 3&#xa0;°C compared to the treatment without thermal control. The micro-sprinkling treatment reduced the respiratory rate by 5.32 breaths/min and promoted an average daily weight gain of 0.26&#xa0;kg/day compared to the control group. Additionally, the pigs’ body temperatures were significantly lower than those in the untreated group, indicating improved animal welfare. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of automated thermal control systems as a strategy to enhance swine production in semi-arid regions.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Impact of automated thermal control on finishing pigs in semi-arid regions

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月8日

查看全文
  • Luana Barbosa Freire de Figueiredo,
  • Pablo Teixeira Leal de Oliveira,
  • Magno do Nascimento Amorim,
  • Giovanni Antherreli Lima da Silva,
  • Roniedson Fernandes da Silva Pequeno,
  • Antônio Henrique Cardoso Sampaio Filho,
  • Hércules Rodrigues Feitoza,
  • Hugo Colombarolli Bonfá,
  • Otoniel Cajuí Bonfim,
  • Raquel Rafael de Freitas Silva,
  • Deborah Cecília Trigueiro Custódio de Brito,
  • Sílvia Helena Nogueira Turco

摘要

Automation and environmental control offer solutions to enhance animal welfare and production efficiency in regions with adverse climates. This study aimed to develop a prototype for thermal environment control in finishing swine pens located in a semi-arid region and to evaluate its performance based on microclimatic traits, physiological responses, animal performance, and thermographic aspects of both the facility and the animals. The experiment involved thirty finishing gilts (Duroc × Large White crossbreeds), grouped by age and weight into three treatments (each with 10 animals per experimental unit). The automated thermal control treatments applied were: (1) no thermal control, (2) automatic activation of a micro-sprinkling system, and (3) automatic activation of micro-sprinkling combined with ventilation. Environmental conditions in all treatments failed to reach optimal thermal comfort levels for finishing pigs, due to the semi-arid characteristics of the region. However, the thermal control treatments reduced floor temperatures by approximately 3 °C compared to the treatment without thermal control. The micro-sprinkling treatment reduced the respiratory rate by 5.32 breaths/min and promoted an average daily weight gain of 0.26 kg/day compared to the control group. Additionally, the pigs’ body temperatures were significantly lower than those in the untreated group, indicating improved animal welfare. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of automated thermal control systems as a strategy to enhance swine production in semi-arid regions.