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Title: TYMPANIC TEMPERATURE RISE AT MEAL EVENTS AS INDICES OF THERMAL ENVIRONMENTS: SWINE

Author
item Eigenberg, Roger
item Hahn, George
item Nienaber, John

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/28/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Energy exchanges between an animal and its environment, which influence performance, health, and well being are a significant area of concern for producers. Conventional methods do not allow direct measurement of an animal's heat exchange with surroundings. Methodology was developed to estimate the relative heat loss of swine in different thermal environments as a means of characterizing environmental stressors. The technique involves evaluation of the body temperature rise (represented by tympanic temperature) characteristic of responses during a meal event in various environmental conditions. The technique was tested using swine in three constant temperature conditions: 28C, 18C, and successfully distinguished between the 18C and 28C treatment environments. The results provide further information contributing to understanding thermoregulatory responses, which provide a basis for improved management of thermal environments for swine.

Technical Abstract: Methodology was developed to estimate the relative heat loss of swine in different thermal environments as a means of characterizing environmental stressors. The technique involves evaluation of the rise characteristic of the tympanic temperature responses during a meal event, as analyzed by a curve fitting program generating a measure of the relative heat exchange between the animal and its environment. The technique was tested using swine in three constant temperature conditions: 28C, 18C, and 8C. The meal-associated measure, based on the biological response of the animal using noninvasive measures, objectively classified the 18C and 28C treatment environments as significantly different (P<0.0001). The results provide further information contributing to understanding thermoregulatory responses, which allow improved management of thermal environments for swine.