Growth Performance and Behaviour in Grouped Pigs Fed Fibrous Diet

Abstract

The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of feeding fibrous diets on growth performance and occurrence of aggressive behaviours in growing pigs. Sixty healthy castrated pigs (initial body weight: 46.7±4.35 kg) were used. A basal diet was diluted with maize cobs to two levels (0 and 160 g/kg dry matter). Behavioural activities were observed using video cameras for three weeks, 8 h/d starting at 0800 h. Pigs subjected to control diet gained more weight compared to pigs receiving fibrous diet in week 1 (0.47 vs 0.15 kg, respectively) and 2 (1.37 vs 1.04, respectively) (p<0.05). Average daily gain was not affected by treatment diet in the third week. Pigs on high fibrous spent more time eating, lying down, standing, walking and fighting (p<0.05) compared to pigs on control diet. Time spent eating increased as the weeks progressed whilst time spent lying down decreased. Time of day had an effect on time spent on different behavioural activities exhibited by all pigs on different treatment diet (p<0.05). Inactivity was greatest in 5th (1200 to 1300 h) hour of the day for all the pigs on different dietary treatments. Skin lesions appeared the most on neck and shoulder region followed by chest, stomach and hind leg region, and finally head region (p<0.05). Pigs on high fibre diet had more skin lesions in all body regions compared to pigs on control diet (p<0.05). It can be concluded that the high fibrous diet with maize cobs did not affect growth performance and also did not reduce aggressive behaviours. Aggressive behaviours emanated out of frustration when queuing on the feeder. The findings of this study suggest that maize cobs can be included at a level of 160 g/kg in diets of pigs. However, to reduce the level of aggression more feeding space should be provided.

Effects of environmental enrichment on behaviour, physiology and performance of pigs — A review

“…Similarly, De Jong et al [56] studied physiological effects of using straw bedding and found that pigs in enriched environments had higher cortisol concentrations than pigs in barren environments. Bakare et al [67] and Pambu Gollah et al [68] reported that corticosteroid hormones bind two types of receptors in the brain called glucocorticoid receptors and mineralocorticoid receptors. These receptors give pigs the ability to respond adaptively to their environment whether barren or enriched depending on the balance between these receptors.…”

“…Intermediary blood metabolites interact with the central nervous system to regulate different behavioral patterns of pigs Bakare et al [67]. Blood metabolites can also give an indication of the animal’s nutritional status [62].…”

Follaje de Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth para alimentar cerdos. 1. Índices de patrón de consumo y de comportamiento productivo

“…También existe la posibilidad de que con un 15 % de harina de este follaje en la ración, alguna de sus propiedades químico-físicas estaría ejerciendo una influencia negativa en el consumo voluntario, lo que parece ser característico que ocurra en cerdos (Bakare et al, 2013(Bakare et al, , 2014Kanengoni et al, 2015), debido a la importancia de la fracción fibrosa en los recursos alimentarios arbóreos.…”

“…Furthermore, probably with 15 % of gliricidia foliage meal in the ration, some of its physicochemical properties should be exerting a negative influence on the voluntary feed intake, which appears to be characteristic to occur in pigs (Bakare et al, 2013(Bakare et al, , 2014Kanengoni et al, 2015), due to the importance of the fibrous fraction in arboreal alimentary resources.…”

Lepidium cake as a feedstuff for pigs

“…De Leeuw et al (2008) reported that pigs fed on fibrous diets showed longer satiety or less feeding motivation due to gut fill. On the other hand, a study by Bakare et al (2014) revealed that pigs spent more eating time on fibrous diet like maize cobs compared to concentrate diet formulated from different proportion of yellow maize, soya bean, soya bean cake, wheat bran, sunflower, sunflower oil cakes. They emphasized that the longer eating time recorded on maize cobs is due to unsatisfied feeding motivation of the pigs to meet their nutrient requirement.…”