Influence of Cooling and Heating Systems on Pen Fouling, Lying Behavior, and Performance of Rearing Piglets

The rearing of piglets is a demanding phase of pig production partly because of the changing temperature requirements of the piglets during rearing. Piglets need high temperatures in the resting area, especially at the beginning, while the optimal temperature is lower toward the end of rearing. To meet the changing temperature demands of the piglets and also to optimize the pen structure, one floor cooling and two heating systems were examined in this study. In two rearing compartments, four pens with 48 piglets each were equipped with a heated cover above a heated/cooled lying area. The lying behavior and performance of 1152 piglets, in addition to the pen fouling, were recorded over six rearing periods. There was no difference between the two heating systems in the lying behavior. However, the acceptance of the lying area was very high in all pens and periods with heating. The cooling had a significant influence on the lying behavior depending on the rearing week. Significantly more piglets lay on the cooled lying area compared with the control pen during the last weeks. The fouling of the pens was not affected by the cooling or heating systems; however, the fouling in all pens was very low. The tested pen structure in combination with a heating and cooling system is a well-functioning way of integrating a solid lying area.

Automated summary

This study investigated the use of one floor cooling and two heating systems in piglet rearing, finding that while the heating systems did not significantly affect lying behavior, cooling had a clear impact on lying behavior, particularly in the later stages of rearing.