PAPER TITLE :COMPOSITE LEAF MEAL (CLM) DIET: ITS EFFECTS ON THE BODY TEMPERATURE OF GROWING PIGS

APPLIED TROPICAL AGRICULTURE | VOLUME 21 NUMBER 1 2016

Paper Details

  • Author(s) : Aro, S.O.* and Ajiboye, A.
  • Abstract:

The effects of feeding composite leaf meal (CLM) based-diets on the body temperature of growing pigs was investigated. Thirty-six Large White pigs with average initial weight of 17.50kg were used. Six experimental diets: the control diet (D1) with 0% CLM and diets 2 (D2), 3 (D3), 4 (D4), 5(D5) and 6 (D6) with CLM included in the diet at 1%, 2%, 3%, 4% and 5% respectively were fed to the animals. Body temperature measurement revealed that the rectal temperatures varied directly with the ambient temperatures irrespective of age and the former could be estimated from the latter. The estimations for the average morning (6.00 a.m), afternoon (12.00 noon) and evening (6.00.p.m.) rectal temperatures were 12.60oC + ambient morning temperature (MAT), 10.49oC + afternoon ambient temperature (AfAT) and 10.89oC + evening ambient temperature (EAT) respectively. The average rectal temperature (ART) was also estimated as average ambient temperature (AvAT) + 11.50°C. The effect of the diets showed a progressive increase in the ART with increase in the level of CLM. The rectal and scrotal temperatures ranged between 38.34±0.06 - 38.43±0.07oC and 31.00±0.00 -33.00±0.00oC among the treatments respectively. The absence of wide fluctuations in the rectal and scrotal temperature as a result of the inclusion of CLM showed that its utilization at these levels would not subject growing pigs to undue thermal stress.