This research was conducted to evaluate the net energy and ractopamine levels in the diet of finishing gilts kept under thermal comfort conditions. Forty gilts were used, with initial weight of 67.4 ± 3.4 kg, distributed in a randomized blocks design in a 2 × 4 factorial scheme composed of two levels of ractopamine, 0 and 20 ppm, combined with net energy levels of 2,300; 2,424; 2,548 and 2,668 kcal/kg of feed, with five replications, considering each animal per experimental unit. The experimental period lasted 28 days. Air temperature, relative humidity, black globe temperature, and black globe temperature and humidity index were 21.5 ± 2.8ºC, 91.7 ± 6.8%, 21.7 ± 2.9ºC and 70.1 ± 3.7, respectively. There was interaction between net energy levels and ractopamine, once the inclusion of 20 ppm of ractopamine in diets with 2,668 kcal of net energy/kg of feed resulted in a decrease in backfat thickness and consequently an increase in lean meat percentage and in carcass allowance index. The inclusion of 20 ppm of ractopamine caused an increased in daily weight gain, improved feed gain ratio, providing higher hot carcass weight and increasing the lean meat amount in carcasses. Diets supplemented with 20 ppm of ractopamine improve the performance and increase meat production of finishing gilts. Ractopamine is ineffective in reducing fat deposition and increasing the percentage of lean meat in the carcass of gilts fed with diets containing low concentration of energy. The level of 2,300 kcal of net energy/kg diet meets the nutritional requirement of finishing gilts under thermal comfort.
additive; carcass; performance; thermal environment
