Wulbers-Mindermann, Margret
- Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Conference paper2003
Wülbers-Mindermann Margret, Persson Eva, Berg Charlotte, Algers Bo
Abstract In the same stable, 360 fattening pigs were divided into two groups; control group and treatment group, and fed three or nine times daily to evaluate how feeding frequency affects performance and prevalence of gastric lesions. The pigs were weighed individually every second week and at slaughter the stomachs were examined for lesions in pars oesophagea and scored on a scale from 1 (normal) to 6 (ulcer). More frequent feeding occasions influenced both performance and gastric status of the pigs negatively. The results indicate a reduced welfare in the more frequently fed pigs. Higher incidence of gastric lesions can be assumed to be associated with a higher level of stress, since the feed content and ration was identical. Key words: Slaughter pigs, health, animal welfare, liquid feeding, feeding frequency
European Conference on Precision Livestock Farming
Animal and Dairy Science
Veterinary Science
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/1970