A Quantitative Biology of the Pig [Hardcover]

I Kyriazakis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0851992730 | ISBN-13: 978-0851992730 | Publication Date: January 1999 | Edition: 1

A large amount of qualitative information has been gathered on many aspects of pig biology over recent years, in areas such as genetics, growth and physiology, and welfare. It is now widely recognized that there is a need to use this data as a basis for the development of quantitative models, in order to further improve performance and productivity. This has been achieved in some areas, notably physiology, but no previous attempt at bringing together and integrating this material has been made. This book, written by leading researchers from Europe, the USA and Australasia, fills that gap. It begins with descriptions of the animal, its feed and its environment. The latest mechanistic mathematical models which describe particular physiological processes are then provided by specialists in those areas, taking into account the external factors which influence them. In conclusion, the advantages and implications of a quantitative approach to pig biology are discussed. The ideas presented will be essential reading for animal scientists, particularly applied physiologists, with an active interest in pigs and will also have relevance to research on other farm animals.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"From the absorption of nutrients to the porcine zone of thermal comfort (the alpha and omega of the index), these 16 contributions aim to quantify the sizable database of information on the latest developments in swine physiology relating to such factors as growth, genetics, metabolism, and behavior. Leading researchers from the US, Europe, and Australia provide balance to a field long on empirical hog sense and short on theoretical analysis, with models that correlate particular physiological and metabolic processes with external process controls. This system approach has relevance to research on other farm animals."--SciTech Book News

About the Author

I. Kyriazakis, Animal Biology Division, Scottish Agricultural College, Edinburgh.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 408 pages
• Publisher: CABI; 1 edition (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0851992730
• ISBN-13: 978-0851992730
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,533,482 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)