Impact of Slatted Floor Configuration on Manure Drainage and Growth Performance of Finishing Pigs

Abstract

HighlightsUnder the same conditions of cast-iron usage, increasing the width of the gap and slat width within a certain range can enhance the bearing capacity of the slatted floors.Variations in the gap and slat width do not significantly affect pig growth performance.The recommended gap width of a cast-iron slatted floor in a fattening pig house is 15 mm.Abstract.Slatted flooring is an important part of the structure of pig houses and can aid in the removal of pig manure to underground ditches via gravity and locomotion. In this study, four different cast-iron slatted floor configurations with different gap widths (10, 15, and 20 mm) and slat widths (10 and 15 mm) were set up in 11 partially slatted-floor pig pens of the same size, each housing 10 fattening pigs with body weights of approximately 63 kg. The residual manure on the solid concrete floor area and a cast-iron slatted floor area were collected at different time intervals (24, 48, and 72 h) and weighed. According to previous studies on total manure and total urine production of pigs, the manure drainage capacity of four types of slatted floor was calculated. The growth performance of all of the pigs was monitored throughout the experiment. The ultimate bearing capacity of the four types of slatted floors was measured by a third-party professional testing organization. The results showed that the gap width and slat width of the cast-iron slatted floor had significant effects on its ultimate bearing capacity and manure drainage capacity (P<0.05) but had no significant effect on pig growth performance (P>0.05). The recommended gap width of a cast-iron slatted floor in a fattening pigs house is 15 mm. These findings can be used to optimize the design of cast-iron slatted flooring for fattening pigs, which must also be safe, economical, and efficient. Keywords: Cast iron, Dimensions, Fattening pig, Manure drainage, Slatted floor.