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A total of 280 crossbred (Swedish Landrace X Yorkshire) X Hampshire piglets were used in the study where a total of 14 batches with two trial pens per batch, piglets were mixed from at least four litters at weaning, moved, and housed in groups of 10 in the two identical pens. One pen in each batch was equipped with a feeder with two feeding places and the other pen had a trough in which all 10 pigs could eat at the same time. All pigs were divided within the litter/group into large, medium or small pigs according to their weaning weight and were individually weighed at weaning (day 0), on the day 7 and 14 post-weaning. On days 0 to 7, 9, 12 and 14, pigs were examined for diarrhoea. Feeding behaviour was registered by using continuous video recordings made from weaning to 5 days. The tapes from day 1 and 5 after weaning were used to determine the time spent eating by one small, one medium and one large-sized pig, randomly selected from each size category and pen.
No differences were found between feeding systems regarding body weight gain and the amount of feed consumed. During the second week after weaning, feed conversion ratio (FCR) was lower for pigs fed from feeders than those fed from trough (P<0.01). Trough feeding in small pigs resulted in lower total diarrhoea scores than those fed from a feeder at days 4, 6 and 8 post-weaning (P<0.05). All three size categories of pigs spent a numerically higher amount of time feeding when fed from a trough than from a feeder. Feeding bouts were longer in pigs fed from a trough (P<0.05).
It is concluded that a trough feeding system it is recommended just after weaning in pigs mixed into heterogeneously composed groups. Small size piglets fed from a feeder express higher levels of post weaning diarrhoea.
A. Thomsson, D. Rantzer, J. Botermans and J. Svendsen, 2008. Acta Agriculturae Scand Section A, 58, 78-83.
