0
Results from Exp. 1 indicate a difference (P = 0.04) in overall (d 0 to 27) removal percentage between control and mat-fed pigs. Fewer pigs fed on mats died or were removed from pens (5.9%) than control pigs (9.8%), with most removals between treatments occurring within the first 11 d (control: 8.0% vs. mat-fed: 4.6%; P = 0.03). Because of the difference in removal percentages, overall ADG and F/G tended to be improved (P = 0.06) for mat-fed pigs compared to the controls. Thus, the results of Exp. 1 indicate a benefit by feeding on mats for 6 d in reducing the percentage of removed pigs, but no advantages on growth performance were observed.
For Exp. 2, removal percentages from d 0 to 7 were similar (P ≥ 0.17) regardless of treatment. By d 20 and through the end of the trial (d 32), a 2-way interaction (P = 0.03) was observed between water source and mat-feeding duration on removal percentages. Pigs that were fed on mats for 3 d and provided swinging waterers had the lowest removal rate among treatments. Overall, there was a trend (P ≥ 0.08) for pigs using the swinging waterer to have increased ADG and improved F/G, resulting in pigs having a 0.635 kg numeric advantage in weight at d 32 compared with pigs drinking from the pan waterer. Much of the overall effect was due to pigs using the swinging waterer having improved (P = 0.02) ADG and F/G compared with pigs with pan waterer access in the early stages (d 7 to 20) of the nursery period.
It is concluded that, in periods during these trials, performance and removal rates of pigs post-weaning were able to be improved by feeding on mats and using swinging waterers instead of pan waterers.
ML Potter, SS Dritz, MD Tokach, JM DeRouchey, RD Goodband, and JL Nelssen, 2010. Swine day, Kansas State University, Report progress 1038: 62-71.
