A comparison of single- and multi-space feeders for growing pigs fed non-pelleted diets ad libitum

Abstract

A total of 540 cross-bred pigs ranging from 39.6 to 87.7 kg liveweight were involved in a six-treatment experiment. They were housed in mixed sex groups of 10 and fed either from ‘multi-space’ hopper feeders 1010 mm long and either 210 mm or 160 mm from front to back of trough, or from two brands of ‘single-space’ hopper feeders each 300 mm long with a water supply either incorporated in the feeding trough (wet and dry) or about 3 m distant from the feeder (dry). The latter arrangement also applied to the multi-space feeder. There were no significant effects on pig performance between any of the four types of dry feeder and no significant differences between the two brands of wet and dry single-space feeder. These feeders increased feed intake from 2.19 to 2.35 kg day −1 ( P < 0.001), increased growth rate from 765 to 852 g day −1 ( P < 0.001) and increased backfat thickness from 12.9 to 14.0 mm ( P < 0.001). There was no effect on the variation of growth rate within pens and a non-significant improvement of about 3% in feed conversion attributable to the wet and dry single-space feeders.