Evaluierung verschiedener haltungstechnischer und prozesstechnischer Einflussfaktoren auf das Futteraufnahmeverhalten und die Wachstumsleisung von abgesetzten Ferkeln

Abstract

The effect of various housing and process-related factors on growth performance and behaviour of weaned piglets was evaluated in the present study. Comparative studies were carried out to investigate the effect of mixing piglets from different litters prior to weaning, and also to analyse the influence of heated mash and prolonged photoperiod after weaning. The objective of the different experimental approaches was to reduce weaning stress for piglets to a minimum by optimising the housing environment and with that reduce various stressors, and to increase food uptake as well as the resulting growth performance of piglets following weaning. By mixing piglets from different litters prior to weaning, the ratio of aggressive incidents after weaning could be significantly reduced (P < 0,001). In keeping with the reduction of aggressive incidents, mixing of litters had a significant impact on daily weight gain of animals post-weaning. Piglets, which had been socialised with piglets from other litters before separation from the sow, showed higher weight gains of 1,09 ± 0,31 kg (P = 0,049) over the entire observation period. Providing heated mash in the first week after weaning also had a positive effect on the growth performance of piglets. Overall, during the 49-day rearing period the weight gain in piglets, which had received heated mash in the first week after weaning, was by 0,89 ± 0,23 kg higher than the weight gain in piglets of the reference group (P = 0,03). Piglets in the experimental group consumed 42,56 ± 0,15 kg of feed over the entire rearing period, whereas piglets of the reference group only consumed 37,15 ± 0,15 kg of feed (P = 0,023) over the same period. An extension of the photoperiod from eight hours to 20 hours during the first four days after weaning resulted in tendentially higher feed consumption by piglets in the first 24 hours after weaning (P = 0,087). However, over the entire seven week rearing period feed consumption could not be increased by prolonging the photoperiod. Furthermore, the prolongation of the photoperiod in the first four days after weaning did not influence weight gain and feeding behavior of the piglets. The present studies demonstrated that there are a number of factors which have an effect on feeding behaviour and growth performance of weaned piglets. Results show that potential lies in the organisation of housing environment and feeding systems. This potential is to be used in the future to optimise piglet production against the backdrop of animal welfare and profitability. A possible positive effect of a combination of the different factors which were analyzed in the present study should be verified in further studies. Until now the evaluation of different factors which have an impact on the behaviour of weaned piglets has only been possible with the aid of video observations. Parallel to the evaluation of housing and process-related factors, simultaneous individual animal identification in rearing piglets based on radio frequency identification (RFID) using high frequency (HF) transponders at an automatic feeder with several feeding places has been developed and tested in the present study. With 97,3 % the identification rate of simultaneous individual animal identification was very high. The system presents a good method to identify piglets simultaneously online at the round trough of an automatic feeder. Housing and process-related factors which have an impact on the behaviour of weaned piglets can be evaluated better in the future by using simultaneous individual animal identification at the automatic feeder. In the context of growing herd-sizes, increased work- and management requirements, legal restraints as well as soaring data volumes, it would be thinkable that the developed RFID system could be used in company internal process management as well as in management systems at intercompany level. RFID-systems are considered as key technology in precision livestock farming and will become increasingly important in the future.