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Piglets are born into a relatively cool environment, resulting in body heat loss, especially at low environmental temperatures. Drying and warming reduces this heat loss, but may be less effective at the higher temperatures experienced in farrowing houses in summer. This study compared the effect of warming and drying piglets at birth on post-natal rectal temperature under winter vs. summer conditions. The study was carried out at a commercial facility using a CRD with 96 sows/litters in a 2×3 factorial arrangement of treatments (applied at birth): 1) Piglet Management: Control (no treatment); Warmed (in a heated box for 30 min); Dried+Warmed (dried with desiccant and warmed); 2) Season: Winter (January-March; farrowing room temperature 21.0 ± 1.65°C); Summer (August-September; 25.3 ± 1.67°C). At birth, piglets were weighed; rectal temperature was measured at 0, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 120, and 1440 min after birth. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS. Litter was the experimental unit; piglet was a subsample of litter. The model included Season, Piglet Management, and the interaction. There were treatment interactions (P < 0.05) for rectal temperatures at all measurement times except at birth. For both Seasons, the Dried+Warmed treatment resulted in greater (P < 0.05) temperatures than Warmed between 20 and 60 min; both treatments had greater (P < 0.05) temperatures than the Control between 10 and 120 min. Rectal temperatures were lower (P < 0.05) in Winter than Summer for the Control and Warmed treatments between 10 and 60 min. However, for the Dried+Warmed treatment, rectal temperatures were similar between Seasons at all times after 10 min. In conclusion, drying and warming piglets at birth was more effective for reducing rectal temperature decline than warming alone and this effect was greater in winter than summer. This research was funded by the National Pork Board.

Piglets are susceptible to chilling early after birth, which is a major pre-disposing factor for pre-weaning mortality (PWM). This study evaluated the effect of drying and warming piglets at birth on PWM at a commercial facility. A CRD was used with 802 sows (litters), allotted at start of farrowing to 2 treatments (applied at birth): Control (no treatment); Dried+Warmed (dried with a cellulose-based desiccant and warmed in a heated box for 30 min). Piglets were weighed at birth and weaning; PWM was recorded. The effects of farrowing room temperature on PWM were evaluated by classifying litters as being born under Cool or Warm conditions (< 25° C and ≥ 25°C, respectively). Similarly, effects of birth weight on PWM were evaluated by classifying piglets into 3 Birth Weight Categories (BWC; < 1.0 kg, 1.0-1.5 kg, or > 1.5 kg). PROC GLIMMIX and MIXED of SAS were used to analyze PWM and other data, respectively. Litter was the experimental unit; piglet a subsample of litter. The model included fixed effects of treatment, and farrowing room temperature or BWC as appropriate, and the random effect of piglet within litter. Rectal temperature at 30 min after birth, measured on a sub-sample of 10% of litters, was greater (P < 0.05) for the Dried+Warmed than the Control treatment. There was no effect (P > 0.05) of drying and warming piglets on weaning weight or overall PWM. Additionally, PWM was similar across treatments within each BWC. However, the Dried+Warmed treatment reduced (P < 0.05) PWM compared to the Control under Cool but not Warm farrowing room temperatures. In conclusion, this suggests that drying and warming piglets at birth increases rectal temperature and may be an effective method to reduce piglet PWM under cooler farrowing room temperatures. This research was funded by the National Pork Board.

Piglets often experience hypothermia early after birth. Previous research has suggested that drying piglets and administration of oxygen (a potential treatment for asphyxiation) at birth may increase post-natal rectal temperatures. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of drying and administering oxygen at birth on piglet rectal temperature over the first 24 h after birth. The study, conducted at a commercial facility, used a CRD with 42 sows/litters randomly allotted at start of farrowing to 3 treatments (applied at birth): Control (no drying or oxygenation); Dried (using a cellulose-based desiccant); Dried+Oxygen [dried and placed in a chamber (40% oxygen) for 20 min]. At birth, piglets were weighed and uniquely identified. Rectal temperature was measured at 0, 20, 30, 45, 60, 120, and 1440 min after birth. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS. Litter was the experimental unit; piglet was a subsample of litter. The statistical model included effects of treatment, time of measurement, and the interaction. Both the Dried and Dried+Oxygen treatments had greater (P < 0.05) rectal temperatures than the Control between 20 and 120 min. However, the Dried+Oxygen treatment had lower (P < 0.05) rectal temperatures than the Dried treatment between 20 and 60 minutes. Temperatures at 1440 min were lower (P < 0.05) for the Dried+Oxygen than the other treatments; however, differences were small. In conclusion, drying piglets at birth increased rectal temperatures over the first 2 h after birth. The combination of drying piglets at birth and placement in an oxygen chamber for 20 min was less effective at moderating post-natal temperature changes than drying alone. Further research on piglet oxygenation is necessary to understand the reason for these reduced temperatures, and whether this treatment affects pre-weaning mortality. This research was funded by the National Pork Board.