Temperature control made simple

摘要

On many pig units, the operation of the system for mechanical ventilation is less than satisfactory. Malfunctioning or poorly designed systems give poor temperature control and they waste heat while also contributing to poor pig performance. Usually we expect the ventilation to keep the air temperature in the room or house from going too much above or below the temperature that has been set to keep the pigs comfortable. In fact the thermal comfort of a pig depends on much more than the temperature ofthe air alone. It also involves the temperature of the floor, as well as airspeed, bedding, dampness and radiation. Animal factors are equally influential, not least the pigs' feed intake and growth rate together with the stage of production, body condition and health, besides the difference between group and individual penning and whether the pigs are free to move around.