Does Provision of Open Area Improve Growth Performance and Welfare of Large White Yorkshire Fattener Pigs during Summer Season in Tropical Indian Conditions?

Headnote

Received: 12 Nov., 2022 Revised: 20 Jan., 2023 Accepted: 26 Jan., 2023

ABSTRACT

Indian Standard (3916-1966) for pig housing, recommends a range of 0.9- 1.8 m² floor area under covered and open space from weaning to finisher stage. Present study assessed whether, IS recommended open area is advantageous to improve welfare and growth performance of fattener pigs during summer season. A total of 20 piglets (10 castrated male and 10 females) at 3 months of age with average body weight 18.94 ± 1.04 Kg were randomly assigned to two housing treatments groups namely Tc; with lower limits of IS recommended covered floor space of 0.9 m² per pig and To; with higher limit of IS recommended floor area of 1.8 m² per pig, in which half, 0.9 m² was under covered space and remaining half 0.9 m² open space. Results revealed that provision of additional floor area of 0.9 m² in open space did not improve growth performance and welfare of pigs during summer season. Therefore, IS recommended open space in pig housing is not necessary and can be removed to improve space, labour and overall economic efficiency of pig production.

HIGHLIGHTS

© Floor area and space type critically affects production and economics of pig production.

© This study assesses the effect of removal of IS recommended open area on performance and welfare of pig.

Keywords: Pig housing, open area, heat stress, growth and welfare

Indian meat sector has grown at the high annual rate of 6.26 % during 2011-12 to 19-20 (DAHD, 2020-21). However, the meat availability in India is only about 15g/ person/day against the ICMR recommendation of 30g/ person/day (Islam et al., 2016). This huge gap of 50% in meat demand, offers a great opportunity of rapid growth of Indian meat sector. Being highly prolific and growth rate, intensive pig farming has great potential for income and employment generation (Prasad et al., 2011).

As average ambient temperature 25.93 °C across the India (Jaganmohan M, 2022), is much higher than neutral zone of for grower-finisher pigs (Berton et al, 2015), so heat stress is serious challenge to intensive pig production in India. Furthermore, lack of sweat glands and thick subcutaneous fat layer increases susceptibility of pigs...