Zootechnical parameters evaluation for pigs with three different feeder systems in prebait stage

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of three different feeder systems regarding weight gain, nutritional conversion, food intake, homogenization of lots and economic impact of these on the producer in the post weaning stage. The study was carried out in the San Miguel´s arm located in Chía, Cundinamarca. Ninety piglets of the same genetic line were kept in cages under a system of confinement, there was control of food provision, weight to the weaning, weight 21 days after weaning and final weight after being kept 41 days in cages, as well as the time used in food provision for each feeder. Data were processed under a statistical design in blocks completely at random where 90 experimental units in three treatments were assigned as follows: T0: canoe type feeder (restricted), T1: TR-5 feeder (to will), T2: circular hopper type feeder (to will) with 10 piglets per lot and 3 retorts per each treatment. Regarding zoo technical parameters there were not significant statistical differences among treatments (p>0,05) in both phases of experimentation, that is, during the total prebait period (day 21 to 63 of life). As a conclusion the feeder systems in post weaning stage in confinement do not alter the productive parameters of the lots. However, the homogeneity of the weights at the end of the study showed a favorable trend regarding automatic feeder systems where the most homogenous lots were obtained with the T2 circular hopper type feeder. Despite this, the T1 showed a smaller amount of delayed piglets which remarkably improves the later development of the lot. The treatment showing much heterogeneity of the lots was the T0 (canoe type feeder), because inrestricted feeding systems the less capable pigs have less consumption possibility, therefore, they present less yield, giving as a result lots less homogenous which will damage the average of the results for the rest of the group. Additionally heterogeneous lots affect their handling in later stages and the commercialization process will become difficult. Regarding the economic analysis in the present study T1 (TR-5) reported 46% more of utilities than T0 (canoe) and 13% more than the T2 (circular hopper) being the greatest yield for the T1 with 23,8%, while the T2 with 20,4% of yield and with 12,7% which represented the smallest yield