This trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of the environmental temperature on performance, carcass composition and physiological parameters of swine from 15 to 30 kg. Thirty-six barrow (Landrace x Large White) averaging initial weight of 14.97 + 0.56 kg were assigned to a completely randomized experimental design with three treatments and six replicates of two animals. The experimental period lasted 23 days. The treatments were as follows: T1 animals on heat stress (35ºC) fed ad libitum; T2 animals on thermal comfort (22ºC) fed ad libitum; T3 animals on thermal comfort (22ºC), pair feeding with treatment 1. Decreasing effects of treatments 1 and 3 feed intake, weight gain, carcass yield and decrease on feed:gain ratio were observed. It was also observed decrease on daily protein and fat depositions in carcass of the animals of treatments 1 and 3 compared of those in the treatment 2. No effects of treatments on relative weights of evaluated organs were observed, except for the relative weight of kidney and stomach that were smaller in the animals of treatment 1 than those of treatment 2. The physiological parameters (rectal temperature, surface temperature and respiratory rate) were negatively influenced by high temperature (treatment 1). It was concluded that in the initial phase the environmental temperature by decreasing feed intake, reduce the weight gain, feed:gain ratio, and protein deposition and increase the respiratory rate and rectal temperature of swine.
carcass; growing phase; physiological parameter; thermal enviroment
