The eating speed of pigs should be correlated with the maximum number of pigs to be fed from a single feeder. Competition, feed type, pig size and presentation of feed all influence feeding behaviour of pigs. Dry mash diets prolong feeding times, though this can be counteracted by adding water and using a wet/dry system. Average daily feed intake and average daily gain decreases as the stocking density increased regardless of presentation and feed type. In order to not decrease the intake and gain of the pigs, the maximum number of pigs per feeder in the growing phase was 15, 19, 20, 21 for dry mash, wet/dry mash, wet/dry pellets and dry pellets, respectively. For the finishing phase, maximum numbers were 14, 18 and 23 for the dry mash, wet/dry mash and dry pellets. Wet/dry pellets can be fed to at least 18 pigs in the finisher phase from a single feeder without decreasing average daily gain or average daily feed intake.
Effect of Feed Presentation on the Feeding Behaviour of Grower-Finisher Pigs (full article)
