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The effect of group size on the performance of growing pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. Carol Petherick ,
A. W. Beattie  and
D. A. V. Bodero
J. Carol Petherick
Affiliation:
Department of Farm Animal Medicine and Production, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4067, Australia
A. W. Beattie
Affiliation:
Department of Farm Animal Medicine and Production, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4067, Australia
D. A. V. Bodero
Affiliation:
Department of Farm Animal Medicine and Production, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4067, Australia
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Abstract

Three replicates of three group sizes (six, 18 and 36) of grower pigs were housed with the same space allocation (0·66 m2 per pig), feeding and drinking space per animal. The animals were mixed and kept together for a period of 22 days. They were given food ad libitum, were weighed weekly and a record kept of the group food intake for the 22-day period. Weight at mixing had a significant effect on weight gains during the 1st week. There was a significant interaction between group size and replicates for weight gains; generally weight gains were lowest in the group size of 36 animals during the first 2 weeks, but in the 3rd week there was no difference between the group sizes. Sex had no effect on weight gains. The variation in weights between group members were significantly greater in the group size of 36 than in the group sizes of six and 18 at the start of the trial, but at the end of the trial there was no difference in the variances of weights in the three group sizes. There was no difference between the group sizes in the variances of the weight gains. There was a significant positive correlation (r = +0·36) between weight at mixing and weight gain for the group size of 18. Group size had no effect on food intake, but the food conversion efficiency of the animals in the group size of 36 was significantly poorer than in the group sizes of six and 18.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 49 , Issue 3 , December 1989 , pp. 497 - 502
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1989

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