Effects of wet/dry feeder and pen stocking density on grow-finish pig performance

Abstract

Three thousand one hundred and eighty-two terminal cross pigs (barrows and gilts) PIC line 359 sires × 1,050 dams were used from three consecutive grow-finish groups (initial BW of 21.51 ± 0.42 kg, 31.61 ± 1.18 kg, 29.41 ± 0.28 kg for replicates 1–3). Pigs were randomly assigned to each pen at the start of the trial and the research period continued for 106, 94, and 100 d for the first, second, and third replicates, respectively. The experimental treatments were designed as a two by three factorial (pen space of 0.65 or 0.78 m2/pig with 10, 13, or 16 pigs per feeder space), each pen had an equal number of barrows and gilts with 20, 26, and 32 pigs per pen for the 10, 13, and 16 pigs per feeder space pens. Each pen was equipped with one double-sided wet/dry feeder, 37.5 cm wide, with one nipple drinker. All pigs had ad libitum access to feed and water supply during the trial period. Pigs for all the three replicates were fed with the same series of diets. Pigs were weighed by pen at the start of trial and at the end of the trial to calculate ADG. Feed was removed from the feeders and weighed to determine ADFI and G:F. To express floor space allowance, the k value was estimated by the equation: space per pig (m2)=k×BW (kg)0.67. No interactions (P > 0.05) of floor space allowance with pigs per feeder were observed. Pigs with less floor space allowance had reduced BW (128.8 vs. 129.5 kg, P = 0.026), ADG (1.00 vs. 1.02 kg/d, P = 0.002), and ADFI (2.52 vs. 2.61 kg/d, P < 0.001). However, G:F was improved (0.402 vs. 0.397, P = 0.039) with less floor space allowance per pig. Increased pigs per feeder space reduced final BW (129.7, 129.4, 128.4 kg, linear; P = 0.001). However, ADG had a quadratic relationship (P = 0.005) with pigs per feeder space with means of 1.03, 1.01, and 1.01 kg/d for 10, 13, and 16 pigs per feeder space. Overall, ADFI had a quadratic relationship (P < 0.0001) with number of pigs per feeder space with means of 2.62, 2.52, and 2.55 kg/d for 10, 13, and 16 pigs per feeder space. Gain efficiency had a quadratic relationship (P = 0.005) with number of pigs per feeder space with means of 0.395, 0.404, and 0.400 for 10, 13, and 16 pigs per feeder space. In conclusion, a floor space allowance of 0.65 m2/pig in the grow-finish period reduced ADFI and ADG compared with 0.78 m2/pig. Overall, with the type of wet/dry feeder used in this study, 10 pigs per feeder had the greatest ADG and ADFI, compared with 13 or 16 pigs per feeder space. However, G:F improved as the number of pigs per feeder space increased.

Postweaning mortality in commercial swine production. I: review of non-infectious contributing factors

“…A positive correlation in nursery mortality attributable to stocking density was reported by several authors ( Table 4 ; Brumm et al, 1996 ; Wolter et al, 2003a; b ; DeDecker et al, 2005 ; Stojanac et al, 2014 ). However, multiple studies have not observed a difference in death loss related to stocking density ( Brumm et al, 1996 , 2001 , 2004 ; Turner et al, 2000 ; Wolter et al, 2002 ; Morrison et al, 2003 ; Street and Gonyou, 2008 ; Jensen et al, 2012 ; Serrano et al, 2013 ; Callahan et al, 2017 ; Jang et al, 2017 ; Wastell et al, 2018 ). Stocking density has been described to be positively correlated with tail and skin lesions with no evidence of a difference in mortality ( Turner et al, 2000 ).…”

A review of compensatory growth following lysine restriction in grow-finish pigs1

“…However, as the database analysis in the present review mostly includes studies conducted under research conditions, the authors recognize there could be a concern about the occurrence of compensatory growth under field or commercial production conditions. Although the physiological aspects of compensatory growth are prone to occur under research or commercial conditions, there are additional factors under commercial conditions that could influence growth and, consequently, compensatory growth responses, for example, stocking density, number of pigs per feeder, environmental conditions, health challenges, and water quality and availability ( Cornelison et al, 2018 ; Flohr et al, 2018 ; Wastell et al, 2018 ; De Oliveira et al, 2019 ).…”

Utilization of Optical Flow Algorithms to Monitor Development of Tail Biting Outbreaks in Pigs

“…Each pen was equipped with a dry feeder (3 feeding spaces/feeder) and two nipple drinkers on fully-slatted floors. Three feeding spaces for a group of 30 pigs are considered standard practice for confinement systems in North America [20][21][22]. Floor space allowance was 0.72 m 2 /pig throughout the study period, excluding the space occupied by the feeder.…”