Cab Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources, 2006
Group size (number of pigs per pen) is an important factor in the design and management of facili... more Group size (number of pigs per pen) is an important factor in the design and management of facilities for growing pigs as it can influence capital requirement and the welfare and performance of pigs. Groups of 30 in commercial practice were previously considered as large, whereas today groups of 100-1000 pigs are used on some farms. This review examines early work, previous reviews of group size and recent work on the effect of group size on pig performance. The paper also incorporates an analysis of 19 recently published studies. The analysis showed that increasing group size from 5 to 100 pigs per pen appeared to have a small, negative effect on performance of weaner and finisher pigs provided that floor-space, and the number of feeders and drinkers was adequate. Group size appeared to have a greater impact on grower pigs, but this may be a reflection of the shorter duration of these particular studies. The review also describes a number of factors that may interact or be influenced by group size. These include carcass characteristics, behaviour, crowding, pen size and shape, and provision of resources such as feeders and drinkers. It can be concluded that pig behaviour alters with increasing group size and that much remains to be understood about pig behaviour in groups of 30-40 pigs and upwards. In practice, while housing pigs in large groups decreases construction, maintenance and cleaning costs, it may increase labour associated with inspection, treatment and marketing of pigs.
ABSTRACT SIX trials were conducted to measure swine waste pro-duction in a modern confinement hou... more ABSTRACT SIX trials were conducted to measure swine waste pro-duction in a modern confinement housing unit. Pigs from 14 to 91 kg (31 to 200 lb) were raised in an en-vironmentally controlled totally slotted floor facility with nipple type waterers and self feeders. Daily total waste production was influenced by both season of the year and pig size. Solid waste production was influenced only by pig size. Total waste production ranged from 3.6 kg/pig/day (7.9 lb/pig/day) in a winter trial to 8.4 kg/pig/day (18.5 lb/pig/day) in a summer trial with a mean of 5.7 kg/pig/day (12.6 lb/pig/day) for the six trials. Express-ed as a percent of body weight, the range of waste pro-duction was 6.4 percent to 16.9 percent with a mean of 10.7 percent. Pigs weighing 14 to 27 kg (31 to 60 lb) pro-duced an average of 4.4 kg/pig/day (9.7 lb/pig/day) waste while pigs weighing 68 to 91 kg (150 to 200 lb) had a daily waste production of 5.9 kg/pig/day (13 lb/pig/ day). Solid waste production ranged from 0.31 kg/pig/day (0.68 lb/pig/day) for a summer trial to 0.48 kg/pig/day (1.06 lb/pig/day) for a spring trial with a mean of 0.38 kg/pig/day (0.84 lb/pig/day). Pigs weighing 14 to 27 kg (30 to 60) produced 0.24 kg (0.53 lb) of solid waste per day and pigs weighing 68 to 91 kg (150 to 200 lb) produc-ed 0.43 kg (0.95 lb) of solid waste per day.
This 1990 Nebraska Swine Report was prepared by the staff in Animal Science and cooperating depar... more This 1990 Nebraska Swine Report was prepared by the staff in Animal Science and cooperating departments for use in the Extension and Teaching programs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Authors from the following areas contributed to this publication: Swine Nutrition, swine diseases, pathology, economics, engineering, swine breeding, meats, agronomy, and diagnostic laboratory. It covers the following areas: breeding, disease control, feeding, nutrition, economics, housing and meats
Cab Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources, 2006
Group size (number of pigs per pen) is an important factor in the design and management of facili... more Group size (number of pigs per pen) is an important factor in the design and management of facilities for growing pigs as it can influence capital requirement and the welfare and performance of pigs. Groups of 30 in commercial practice were previously considered as large, whereas today groups of 100-1000 pigs are used on some farms. This review examines early work, previous reviews of group size and recent work on the effect of group size on pig performance. The paper also incorporates an analysis of 19 recently published studies. The analysis showed that increasing group size from 5 to 100 pigs per pen appeared to have a small, negative effect on performance of weaner and finisher pigs provided that floor-space, and the number of feeders and drinkers was adequate. Group size appeared to have a greater impact on grower pigs, but this may be a reflection of the shorter duration of these particular studies. The review also describes a number of factors that may interact or be influenced by group size. These include carcass characteristics, behaviour, crowding, pen size and shape, and provision of resources such as feeders and drinkers. It can be concluded that pig behaviour alters with increasing group size and that much remains to be understood about pig behaviour in groups of 30-40 pigs and upwards. In practice, while housing pigs in large groups decreases construction, maintenance and cleaning costs, it may increase labour associated with inspection, treatment and marketing of pigs.
ABSTRACT SIX trials were conducted to measure swine waste pro-duction in a modern confinement hou... more ABSTRACT SIX trials were conducted to measure swine waste pro-duction in a modern confinement housing unit. Pigs from 14 to 91 kg (31 to 200 lb) were raised in an en-vironmentally controlled totally slotted floor facility with nipple type waterers and self feeders. Daily total waste production was influenced by both season of the year and pig size. Solid waste production was influenced only by pig size. Total waste production ranged from 3.6 kg/pig/day (7.9 lb/pig/day) in a winter trial to 8.4 kg/pig/day (18.5 lb/pig/day) in a summer trial with a mean of 5.7 kg/pig/day (12.6 lb/pig/day) for the six trials. Express-ed as a percent of body weight, the range of waste pro-duction was 6.4 percent to 16.9 percent with a mean of 10.7 percent. Pigs weighing 14 to 27 kg (31 to 60 lb) pro-duced an average of 4.4 kg/pig/day (9.7 lb/pig/day) waste while pigs weighing 68 to 91 kg (150 to 200 lb) had a daily waste production of 5.9 kg/pig/day (13 lb/pig/ day). Solid waste production ranged from 0.31 kg/pig/day (0.68 lb/pig/day) for a summer trial to 0.48 kg/pig/day (1.06 lb/pig/day) for a spring trial with a mean of 0.38 kg/pig/day (0.84 lb/pig/day). Pigs weighing 14 to 27 kg (30 to 60) produced 0.24 kg (0.53 lb) of solid waste per day and pigs weighing 68 to 91 kg (150 to 200 lb) produc-ed 0.43 kg (0.95 lb) of solid waste per day.
This 1990 Nebraska Swine Report was prepared by the staff in Animal Science and cooperating depar... more This 1990 Nebraska Swine Report was prepared by the staff in Animal Science and cooperating departments for use in the Extension and Teaching programs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Authors from the following areas contributed to this publication: Swine Nutrition, swine diseases, pathology, economics, engineering, swine breeding, meats, agronomy, and diagnostic laboratory. It covers the following areas: breeding, disease control, feeding, nutrition, economics, housing and meats
Uploads
Papers by Michael Brumm