Thermal Aids for Reducing Hypothermia in Neonatal Piglets

Hypothermia in neonatal piglets is a significant welfare concern in swine production. A study published in the Journal of Animal Science by L. J. Pedersen, M. L. V. Larsen, and J. Malmkvist explores the effectiveness of various thermal aids in mitigating hypothermia during the critical first hours of life. This research provides valuable insights into how different thermal management strategies impact piglet health and survival and reduce hypothermia.

Study Design and Methods

The study was conducted with 150 newborn piglets from 24 sows, each subjected to one of seven thermal treatments. The treatments included a combination of flooring types (solid vs. slatted) and thermal aids:

• Control: No additional heating on solid (n=26) or slatted (n=26) floors.
• Built-in Floor Heating: Integrated into a solid floor (n=31).
• Floor Heating Radiant Plate: Applied to a solid floor (FloorPlate; n=19).
• Radiant Heat Mat: Positioned above a solid floor (RadiantC; n=22) or a slatted floor (RadiantSlat; n=18).
• Straw: Provided on a solid floor (n=8).

Key Findings

• Temperature Stability: All thermal aids significantly reduced the rate of rectal temperature drop and facilitated faster recovery compared to the control group. Certain aids also improved the average rectal temperature for smaller piglets and decreased the time spent below 35°C.
• Most Effective Aids:
  • Straw: Showed the highest effectiveness in maintaining rectal temperature and reducing hypothermia.
  • Radiant Heater (RadiantC): Also highly effective in stabilizing rectal temperature.
  • Floor Heating Radiant Plate (FloorPlate): Provided intermediate results, improving temperature stability compared to controls.
• Comparative Effectiveness: Piglets on a solid floor without heating experienced more severe hypothermia than those on slatted floors. The effectiveness of different aids varied, with some mitigating the impact of low birth weight on thermoregulation.
• Interaction with Birth Weight: Thermal aids such as Straw, RadiantC, and FloorPlate were effective in reducing the effects of birth weight on hypothermia, making them particularly valuable in modern breeding systems where litter sizes have increased, and average birth weights have decreased.

Implications for Swine Production of heat mats

The study underscores the importance of effective thermal management for newborn piglets, particularly in large litters with varying birth weights. By implementing appropriate thermal aids, producers can significantly reduce the risk of hypothermia and improve piglet survival rates.

The findings suggest incorporating thermal aids like Straw and Heat Mats into farrowing practices can enhance piglet welfare and productivity. These aids stabilize temperatures and counteract the adverse effects of low birth weight, which is increasingly common in modern swine breeding.