[en] During 47 days, 80 weaned pigs, allotted to 2 groups of 30 and 50 animals, were given choice simultaneously between pellets or meal distributed ad libitum in feeders equipped with an integrated watering system. The average daily weight gain was 0.4250.058 kg, without significant difference between groups, and the mean feed conversion ratio was 1.72. The mean feed intake with pellets was double that with meal (0.49 vs. 0.24 kg/head daily). However, the pellet feeders and meal feeders were occupied for the same proportion of time: the mean occupation times were 45.5 and 42.8% (30 pigs) and 62.4 and 67.3% (50 pigs), respectively. Eating pellets seems thus to take less time than eating meal. Furthermore, we have observed that animals from the larger group were eating more quickly than members of the smaller one. Even if the feed intake of pigs with pellets was twice that with meal, pigs drank more water (60% of the total water intake) using the meal feeder. Thus, with pellets, pigs don't seem to choose a close association between feed and water consumption. In conclusion, pigs prefer pellets to meal, this choice being probably partially explained by a faster ingestion. This eating speed depending also on the group size, the number of eating places should thus take into account these two parameters.
Disciplines :
Veterinary medicine & animal health Animal production & animal husbandry
Author, co-author :
Laitat, Martine ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département clinique des animaux de production (DCP) > Département clinique des animaux de production (DCP)
Vandenheede, Marc ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de productions animales > Ethologie vétérinaire et bien-être des animaux
Desiron, Alain
Canart, Bernard
Nicks, Baudouin ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de productions animales > Ecologie et éthologie vétérinaires
Language :
French
Title :
Granulés ou farine en post-sevrage : le choix des porcelets
Alternative titles :
[en] Pellets or meal after weaning: the choice of piglets