Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-xxrs7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T04:34:22.338Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effects of stocking rate and feeder-trough space on pig performance in wean-to-finish production systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

B. F. Wolter
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801 USA
M. Ellis
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801 USA
S. E. Curtis
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801 USA
J. M. DeDecker
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801 USA
B. P. Corrigan
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801 USA
E. N. Parr
Affiliation:
United Feeds, Inc., Sheridan, IN, 46069
D. M. Webel
Affiliation:
United Feeds, Inc., Sheridan, IN, 46069
Get access

Extract

Wean-to-finish production, which involves taking pigs from weaning to slaughter in the same building, is becoming widely adopted in the US swine industry. This production system is being advocated largely because of claims of improved animal performance and a decrease in labor needed for animal movement compared to conventional multiple-stage systems. One of the potential disadvantages of this system is the considerable underutilization of floor space during the early growth period if pigs are penned in the group sizes that are appropriate for finishing pigs. However, increasing the stocking rate initially at weaning, with some of these pigs subsequently being moved to another finishing facility, may increase output from the system. Therefore, the objective of this research was to investigate effects of initial stocking rate and of feeder-trough space in commercial wean-to-finish facilities on pig performance from weaning to slaughter.

Type
Poster Presentations
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)