Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange
Abstract
The performance of growing-finishing pigs maintained in pens with different floor construction has been studied in two experiments (winter and summer). The four types of floor construction are: completely slotted, 5CY/o slotted, 25% slotted and a sloped concrete floor with a narrow gutter across the lower end of the pen. Pits under the slotted floors accumulate the manure. In addition to floor type, a comparison has been made of number of pigs per pen and controlled and uncontrolled house temperatures. Pen size was 5 x 15 feet when 8 or 9 pigs were used per pen and 10 x 15 feet when the pig numbers were doubled thus allowing the same number of square feet per pig. Feeder and water space per pig was also equalized between lots. During the winter trial two lots of pigs were also confined in an uninsulated house and bedded with straw. Feeders and waters were located inside of these houses. Identical rations were fed to all lots of pigs in both experiments. The composition of the rations fed are shown in Table 1
