Dan Rantzer

Effects of a Strategic Feed Restriction on Pig Performance and Health during the Post-weaning Period

Abstract Digestive and metabolic changes in pigs during the post-weaning period were studied to elucidate the effects of feeding strategies on pig performance and health. Sixteen creep fed litters were divided at weaning (5 weeks of ages); half the litter was fed ad lib (FF), while the other half was fed restricted (RF) from day 3 to day 8 after weaning (restrictive period: 50% reduction on day 3, another 50% reduction on day 4, minimum ration 100 g pig−1 day−1, the same amount on days 5 and 6, double the amount on days 7 and 8, and then ad lib). Food intake (per pen), weight and diarrhoea (individually) were registered daily for 14 days post weaning. Studies of faecal haemolytic E. coli (days 4, 5, 6, 8 and 14), blood plama levels of total cortisol and immunoreactive cationic trypsin (IRCT) (days 2, 6, 9 and 14) and body temperature (days 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8) were done on two pigs per pen. During the restrictive period the RF pigs had significantly lower diarrhoea score, fewer number of antibiotic treatm...

The effect of feeding system at weaning on performance, health and feeding behaviour of pigs of different sizes

Abstract Pigs weaned at 31 to 34 days of age (n=280) were mixed into groups of 10 and fed from either feeders (2 feeding places per pen) or troughs (10 feeding places per pen). Analyses on performance, diarrhoea scores and feeding behaviour were made separately on small-, medium- and large-sized pigs, defined as their relative size in the group. During the second week after weaning, feed conversion ratio (FCR) was lower for pigs fed from feeders. Trough feeding resulted in lower total diarrhoea scores for small (p=0.002) and large (p=0.04), and higher scores for medium pigs (p=0.03). Small pigs had lower scores on individual days around the peak on day 6. All three size categories of pigs spent a numerically higher amount of time feeding when fed from a trough. Feeding bouts were longer in pigs fed from a trough (p=0.0002 – 0.05).

Behaviour of group-housed sows fed individually using a computer-controlled feeding system

In a comparison of computer controlled (transponder) individual feeding system with a group feeding system based on biological fixation (slow feeding system in which the feed trough was divided into 40-cm wide sections using 30-cm long paritions), there were no significant differences in the average behaviour of gestating sows between the two systems. Social behaviour at the transponder feeding station is also described.