Effect of the available space/group size on the nutrient balance of finishing pigs

Abstract

THE NITROGEN AND ENERGY UTILIZATION OF FINISHING PIGS ALLOCATED INDIVIDUALLY OR IN GROUPS OF TWO WAS EVALUATED. THIRTY TWO CASTRATED MALES WERE USED WITH AN INITIAL WEIGHT OF 68.6 ± 1.0 KG THAT WERE ASSIGNED IN A RANDOMIZED COMPLETE BLOCK DESIGN WITH A SPLIT-PLOT ARRANGEMENT IN THREE TREATMENTS: A PIG ALLOCATED INDIVIDUALLY WITH FREE ACCESS TO FEED AND 0.81 M2 OF FL OOR SPACE (D1AL); TWO PIGS ALLOCATED IN GROUP WITH FREE ACCESS TO FEED AND 0.405 M2 OF FLOOR SPACE/PIG (D2AL); A PIG ALLOCATED INDIVIDUALLY PAIREDFED TO THE AVERAGE CONSUMPTION OF PIGS IN D2AL AND FL OOR SPACE SIMILAR TO D1AL (D1P). THE EXPERIMENT WAS DIVIDED IN TWO PERIODS OF EXCRETA COLLECTION: DAYS 1-4 AND 18-21, RESPECTIVELY. THERE WERE EIGHT REPETITIONS PER TREATMENT. THE NUTRIENT CONSUMPTION IN PERIOD 1 WAS HIGHER IN D1AL COMPARED TO D2AL AND D1P (DENSITY €” PERIOD, P < 0.01); IN PERIOD 2, THE NUTRIENT CONSUMPTION WAS HIGHER IN D1AL, INTERMEDIATE IN D1P AND LOWER IN D2AL. THE NITROGEN (P < 0.05) AND ENERGY (P < 0.10) RETAINED IN PERIOD 1 WAS SIMILAR AMONG DENSITIES (DENSITY €” PERIOD INTERACTION); IN PERIOD 2 IT WAS HIGHER IN D1AL COMPARED TO D2AL. THE PIGS HOUSED IN GROUPS OF TWO WITH FREE ACCESS TO FEED HAD LOWER NUTRIENT CONSUMPTION AND RETENTION AT THE END OF THE TRIAL, PROBABLY AS A CONSEQUENCE OF CHRONIC STRESS DUE TO THE COMPETITION FOR THE FEED, COMPLICATED BY THE RESTRICTION OF AVAILABLE FLOOR SPACE.