MAJOR DETERMINANTS OF FASTING HEAT-PRODUCTION AND ENERGETIC COST OF ACTIVITY IN GROWING PIGS OF DIFFERENT BODY-WEIGHT AND BREED CASTRATION COMBINATION/

A total of sixty-five observations on heat production during fasting a nd physical activity were obtained in four groups of pigs differing in breed and/or castration (Meishan (MC) and Large White (LWC) castrates and Large White (LWM) and Pietrain (PM) males) with body weight (BW) ranging between 25 and 60kg. Pigs were fed ad libitum before fasting. Heat production was measured using indirect calorimetry. Fasting heat production (FHP) was proportional to the body weight raised to the pow er 0.55, but with group-specific proportionality parameters (810, 1200 , 1220 and 1120 kJ/kg BW0.55 per d for MC, LWC, LWM. and PM respective ly). Group effects could be removed by expressing FHP as a function of muscle, viscera and fat: FHP (kJ/d) = 457(muscle)(0.81) + 1969(viscer a)(0.81) - 644(fat)(0.81). It is hypothesized that different breeds wi th equal muscle and visceral mass, can have different FHP. The negativ e coefficient for fat would then be the result of a low FHP rather tha n a cause of it. Because a large part of the variation in tissue compo sition between groups was due to MC group, a separate equation for the lean groups was established. For lean pigs, FHP could be expressed as a function of muscle and viscera alone: FHP (kJ/d) = 508(muscle)(0.66 ) + 2011(viscera)(0.66). Both type of pig and BW affected the number o f bouts of physical activities (i.e. standing or sitting) per day, the duration of activity and the total cost of activity. Energetic cost o f activity was proportional to the muscle mass raised to the power 0.9 1 (FHPactivity (kJ/h activity) = 21.0(muscle)(0.91)). Physical activit y represented less than 10% of the total heat production in fasting gr owing pigs housed alone in metabolic cages and kept in a quiet environ ment.