A comparative study of the effects of long-term cold exposure, and cold resistance in Min Pigs and Large White Pigs. (3rd April 2017) - Liu, Ziguang
ABSTRACT: Min Pig ( Sus scrofa ) is a northern Chinese domestic pig breed, whose cold resistance is remarkable. However, the cold-resistant phenotype of Min Pig is unclear. Our studies showed that in long-term cold exposure, the death rate of Min Pigs is significantly lower than that of the control Large White (LW) Pigs. The ear tissue freezing rate for Min Pigs is 0%, but that for LW Pigs is 100%. The shivering time and shivering frequency of Min Pigs are both significantly lower than that of LW Pigs at 5 months ( P < .005) and in 80–90 kg pigs ( P < .001). Our results indicated that Min Pig is more cold resistant than LW Pig in long-term cold exposure. These findings provided important reference data for the field of cold resistance research in Min Pigs, and for the breeding of cold-resistant pigs.