[Bioclimatic assessment of a tropical site--a criterion for decisions concerning breeding and technology for successful animal production in the tropics].

Abstract

The values of the body temperature and breathing frequency were taken from young pigs and sows at a tropical location in order to study the relations between measured climatic values and their complex derivations (the amount of cooling down, enthalpy, sultriness factor, and water vapour pressure). The relevance was weighted of the natural and calculated climatic values for the thermoregulation of the animals. A practical example is given of the discrepancies between a genuine tropical climate and the demands made by pigs and hens on their climatic environment. From this, conclusions are drawn for successfully keeping and breeding these species at tropical locations.