Abstract
A total of 144 large White pigs were farrowed at four different periods of the year: February-March, May-June, August-September and November-December, and slaughtered from 1-9 months after birth to study the effect of seasonal variation on lung and liver weights in a temperate breed of livestock reared in the humid tropics. Both lung and liver weights showed significant (P<0.05) seasonal variation. Before weaning, organ weights were higher for the pigs born May-September. At larger body weights the pigs farrowed November-March had larger organs. All regression and correlation coefficients between organ and body weights were highly significant (P<0.001), with intercepts that were higher and slopes lower for the animals farrowed November· March. Adult lung and liver weights were within the range recorded for pigs in the temperate regions. The pigs farrowed November-March attained adult organ weights earlier than those farrowed May-September.
