Selecting and managing microclimates for newborn piglets

In the first few days after birth, piglets provided both heat lamps and heat mats spent more time under the heat lamp.

April 7, 2022

5 Min Read
NPB-Heat Lamp Piglets.jpg
National Pork Board

Around the time of birth, piglets encounter a challenging thermal environment. When they are expelled from the 102°F sow, they enter the 72°F farrowing room. This drastic 30°F change in environmental temperature coincides with the first time the piglet must thermoregulate on its own, while having very little body fat or hair to help it do so. Additionally, being born wet, piglets experience additional heat loss when the birth fluids evaporate.

Keeping newborn piglets warm is critical for survival, as chilling and hypothermia have been identified as a major cause of pre-weaning mortality. Chilled piglets have low energy reserves and are less likely to seek teats or move out of the way of the sow, making them more susceptible to malnutrition and overlay (crushing).

Therefore, it is imperative to reduce the amount of body temperature drop in newborn piglets. This is most commonly achieved by creating a warm microclimate area, with either a conductive (mats or in-floor heat) or radiative (heat lamps or plates) heat source.

Radiative heat sources, especially heat lamps, are typically suspended over a rubber or insulated mat on the floor of the creep to provide a more comfortable and uniformly heated area for the piglets. The most commonly used heat sources are heat lamps and heat mats.

Heat mats have a greater initial investment cost, but have been proven up to 73% more energy efficient than heat lamps. Additionally, most heat mats feature adjustable or programmable thermostats, making them easier to manage throughout lactation as piglet thermal needs change.

Scientific research has shown there are no differences in pre-wean mortality or piglet weight gain when comparing heat lamps to mats (Besheda et al., 2014; Stinn and Xin, 2014; Lane et al., 2020). However, piglets do demonstrate behavioral preferences for heat source type.

In the first few days after birth, piglets provided both heat lamps and heat mats spent more time under the heat lamp (Zhang and Xin, 2001). After piglets are three days old, they prefer to sleep in dark areas of the farrowing stall (Larsen and Pedersen, 2015), demonstrating that a non-illuminating heat source may be preferred in mid to late lactation.

Many different designs are available for partially or fully enclosed microclimate areas. Enclosing the microclimate with solid walls or flexible curtains is intended to provide a more uniform temperature within the microclimate area, as well as reduce drafts on piglets and heat loss to the room. Compared to a traditional heat lamp, semi-enclosed radiatively heated microclimates require 50% less energy for operation (Smith et al., 2019).

Smith et al. (2019) found a 2% reduction in overlay mortality with the semi-enclosed microclimate but found no differences in overall pre-wean mortality or piglet weight gain, suggesting that further scientific study is needed to assess production impacts. When provided both open and enclosed microclimate areas, piglets demonstrated no behavioral preference between the two types (Vasdal et al., 2010).

Regardless of microclimate type, the area should be of appropriate temperature for the piglets. Temperatures between 86°F and 112°F (30 – 44.5°C) are needed to ensure thermal comfort for young piglets. The actual temperature of the microclimate area can be measured with infrared temperature guns or thermal imaging, but visual assessment of piglet resting patterns can provide additional information on the suitability of the microclimate area temperature.

Pigs are a social species that tend to lay touching each other, especially young piglets. However, if piglets are piling on top of each other or lying in very close, tight bunches, the microclimate may not be warm enough. Shivering and sternal lying can also be signs of cool piglets. Conversely, if the microclimate area is too warm, the piglets will tend to lay on their sides and spread apart with less contact between littermates.

All parts of the microclimate area may not be heated uniformly, especially with heat lamps. The area directly under the heat source will be warmest, with the temperature gradually decreasing towards the edges. If the heat lamp is positioned too low or the wattage is too high, the area directly beneath will become too hot for piglets and they will lay in a ring around the hot spot, creating a circular "donut" pattern. Adjusting thermostat settings, heating element height, or power and wattage levels can be used to correct microclimates that are too cool or warm for piglets.

Newborn piglets, especially those of low birth weight, struggle to maintain body temperature as they develop their ability to thermoregulate. Providing a warm, comfortable microclimate area can reduce the amount of piglet energy required in the critical first few days after birth, ensuring that piglets get the best start possible.

Resources:
Besheda, E., Q. Zhang, and R. Boris. 2014. Energy consumption of heat pads and heat lamps and aerial environment in a commercial swine farrowing facility. Can. Biosyst. Eng. 56:5.1-5.6. doi:10.7451/cbe.2014.56.5.1.
Lane, K. J., A. K. Johnson, C. E. J. Stilwill, L. A. Karriker, J. D. Harmon, and K. J. Stalder. 2020. Comparison of heat lamps and heat mats in the farrowing house: effect on piglet production, energy use, and piglet and sow behavior through live observation. J. Swine Heal. Prod. 28:205–212.
Larsen, M. L. V., and L. J. Pedersen. 2015. Does light attract piglets to the creep area? Animal. 9:1032–1037. doi:10.1017/S1751731115000257.
Smith, B. C., B. C. Ramirez, S. J. Hoff, and L. L. Greiner. 2019. Pilot-scale assessment of a novel farrowing creep area supplementary heat source. Animals. 9:1–15. doi:10.3390/ani9110996.
Vasdal, G., M. Glærum, M. Melišová, K. E. Bøe, D. M. Broom, and I. L. Andersen. 2010. Increasing the piglets’ use of the creep area-A battle against biology? Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 125:96–102. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2010.04.010.
Zhang, Q., and H. Xin. 2001. Responses of piglets to creep heat type and location in farrowing crate. Appl. Eng. Agric. 17:515–519.
Stinn, J. P., and H. Xin. 2014. Heat Lamp vs. Heat Mat as Localized Heat Source in Swine Farrowing Crate. Iowa State Univ. Anim. Ind. Rep. 11. doi:10.31274/ans_air-180814-1213.

Source: Suzanne Leonard, who is solely responsible for the information provided, and wholly owns the information. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

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