Influencia de la climatización en la respuesta de reproductoras suínas.

In the world 39% of the total meat consumption is pork, 26% is beef, 28% is poultry and 7% meat from other animals. In Brazil beef represents 52% of the total consumption, while poultry represents 34%, and the pork meat represents only 15%. These data show the potential for development that this sector represents. To reach this increase in production special attention needs to be directed to housing where the animals will be placed during their production cycle. This housing need as main characteristics, to control the influence of the climatic fators over the lodged animals. Climatic variations are minimized by the use of distinct construction materials, the use of right building dimensions, the animal's lodging density and finally by the use of adequate ventilation system. The objective of this research was to evaluate the influence of the use of climatization in the physiological response of nursing sows in the maternity building. Three treatments were tested: natural ventilation, cooled ventilation and forced ventilation. The following climatic parameter were measured: environmental temperature (Ta), relative humidity (UR) and wind speed (Vv). There were also measured the following physiological parameters from the nursing sows: respiratory track, skin temperature and backfat thickness. The results found showed that the use of cooled ventilation in the sows decreased the environmental temperature in the housing and also led to the decrease in the respiratory track as well as presented the smallest loss in backfat thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]