Comparison between computerised liquid feeding and ad libitum dry feeding for sows during lactation
TP Ryan, PB Lynch, and PG Lawlor. 2009. Book of Abstracts EAAP, Barcelona, 451.
08-Jul-2010 (15 years 10 months 28 days ago)The aim of the present work was to determine the effect of three different feeding regimes during lactation on feed intake, sow weight change and piglet performance until to weaning. At day 109 of gestation a total of 90 sows were blocked according to parity group (parity 1, parity 2 to 3 inclusive and parity 4 plus). Those animals were weighted and allocated to the different experimental treatment: (A) Liquid feeding; with an adjusted increase of DE intake of 25 MJ / day at farrowing to 98 MJ / day by day 21 and maintained at this level until weaning (day 28) of lactation, (B) Liquid feeding; adjust 1 x 1.33, (C) ad libitum dry feeding.
Sows fed with the adjusted feeding treatments A and B were fed twice daily a 4.1:1 mixture of feed (dry matter) to water by a computerised liquid feeding system. The lactation diet contained 14.2 MJ DE / kg and 9.1g lysine / kg fresh-weight. Mean lactation energy intake was 71.2, 103.7 and 87.8 (s.e. 3.54 MJ DE/day; P<0.001) for Treatments A, B and C, respectively. Sow back-fat loss during lactation was 3.8, 3.4 and 2.3 (s.e. 0.46 mm; P<0.05) for Treatments A, B and C, respectively. The number of pre-weaning deaths per litter was 0.55, 0.92, 1.66 (s.e. 0.21; P<0.07). Treatment had no effect on piglet weaning weight (P>0.05), piglet daily gain (P>0.05), within litter CV for weaning weight (P>0.05) and within litter CV for piglet daily gain (P>0.05).
Therefore it may be concluded that with the use of liquid feeding, sow feed intake may be increased but without affecting piglet performance.
Sows fed with the adjusted feeding treatments A and B were fed twice daily a 4.1:1 mixture of feed (dry matter) to water by a computerised liquid feeding system. The lactation diet contained 14.2 MJ DE / kg and 9.1g lysine / kg fresh-weight. Mean lactation energy intake was 71.2, 103.7 and 87.8 (s.e. 3.54 MJ DE/day; P<0.001) for Treatments A, B and C, respectively. Sow back-fat loss during lactation was 3.8, 3.4 and 2.3 (s.e. 0.46 mm; P<0.05) for Treatments A, B and C, respectively. The number of pre-weaning deaths per litter was 0.55, 0.92, 1.66 (s.e. 0.21; P<0.07). Treatment had no effect on piglet weaning weight (P>0.05), piglet daily gain (P>0.05), within litter CV for weaning weight (P>0.05) and within litter CV for piglet daily gain (P>0.05).
Therefore it may be concluded that with the use of liquid feeding, sow feed intake may be increased but without affecting piglet performance.