A computer-controlled, long-term recording system for studying eating, drinking, and defecation behavior in miniature pigs (original) (raw)
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Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2006
Sensor feeding is a liquid feeding system for fattening pigs that is run with a restricted animal/ feeding-place ratio (AFR). Feeding occurs at specific periods, so that the trough is left empty inbetween. Therefore, it must be regarded as an ad libitum feeding system. The aim of the present study was to quantify the effect of three different AFRs (4:1, 7:1 and 13:1) with nine, six and three feeding places per group, respectively, on the behaviour and performance of fattening pigs (25-100 kg) housed in groups of 40 individuals. Each AFR was tested with seven groups (21 groups in total). With each group, four pigs were selected from each weight class (lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight) as focal animals. The behaviour in the feeding area was observed by means of 24 h-video-recording for the 12 focal pigs at an age of 14 and 17 weeks. Daily weight gain was calculated for all animals. As the AFR increased, feeding bout duration at the trough declined significantly ( p < 0.001), whilst the duration of waiting increased ( p < 0.001). The AFR had no significant effect on the frequency of aggressive displacements at the feeding trough. On the other hand, the fatteners were more frequently pushed away from the trough without aggressive interactions as the AFR increased ( p < 0.001). Besides the AFR, the age and weight class of the focal pigs had a significant effect on behaviour. Lightweight animals waited longer for access to the trough and were more often displaced from the trough as a consequence of aggressive interactions. Weight gain was lower as AFR increased ( p < 0.001), an effect that was more pronounced in lightweight focal animals ( p < 0.001). In conclusion, the AFR has a decisive influence on the behaviour and performance of fattening pigs fed by sensor feeding. Lightweight pigs, most likely the subordinate group members, are more affected by an increased AFR, and hence most at risk of impaired welfare. An AFR of 13:1 has marked negative effects on the pigs' performance and behaviour and is inadvisable to be used for this feeding system. #
Prandial Correlations and Structure of the Ingestive Behavior of Pigs in Precision Feeding Programs
Animals, 2021
The feeding behavior of growing-finishing pigs was analyzed to study prandial correlations and the probability of starting a new feeding event. The data were collected in real-time based on 157,632 visits by a group of 70 growing-finishing pigs (from 30.4 to 115.5 kg body weight, BW) to automatic feeders. The data were collected over 84 days, during which period the pigs were kept in conventional (by phase and by group) or precision (with daily and individual adjustments) feeding programs. A criterion to delimit each meal was then defined based on the probability of an animal starting a new feeding event within the next minute since the last visit. Prandial correlations were established between meal size and interval before meal (pre-prandial) or interval after meal (post-prandial) using Pearson correlation analysis. Post-prandial correlations (which can be interpreted as hunger-regulating mechanisms) were slightly stronger than pre-prandial correlations (which can be interpreted as...
Review: Quantifying animal feeding behaviour with a focus on pigs
Physiology & Behavior, 2015
Highlights: • Feeding behaviour can be influenced by multiple factors. • Several sensors exist to measure feeding behaviour in group-housed pigs. • Units of feeding behaviour can be feeding visits, meals or raw registrations. • Numerous methods for meal determination exist, with interesting recent advances.
Analysis of feeding behavior of group housed growing–finishing pigs
Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 2013
Feeding behavior and time spent eating contains valuable information that can be used for managing livestock, identifying sick animals, and determining genetic differences within a herd. Individual animal feeding behavior, in a commercial-sized pen, was recorded using radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology and a series of multiplexers. Data were collected on 960 pigs (mixed barrows, 406 and gilts, 600) over 4 grow-out periods. The animals entered the facility at 24.6 ± 5.4 kg (mean ± standard deviation) at approximately 65 days of age and exited the facility at 101.4 ± 13.8 kg (between 116 and 133 days later). Time spent at the feeder was analyzed for the effects of days on feed, sex, weight gain, and health effects. The amount of time spent at the feeder averaged 68.8 min day À1 pig À1 over the grow-out period, and increased from the day the pigs enter the facility (24.0 ± 1.6 min day À1 pig À1 ; mean ± standard error) until plateauing at approximately 40 days later (76.7 ± 2.4 min day À1 pig À1 ; age $ 105 days). After the plateau, barrows spent 13.6 more minutes per day at the feeder than gilts. Pigs classified as 'high gaining' (79.2 ± 5.1 min day À1 pig À1) spent more time at the feeder than pigs classified as either 'normal' (72.6 ± 2.6 min day À1 pig À1) or 'low gaining' (67.6 ± 5.3 min day À1 pig À1). This initial manuscript demonstrates the potential of utilizing feeding behavior or time spent eating as a method of managing animals.
Pattern of gastric emptying in the pig: Relation to feeding
British Journal of Nutrition, 1990
The aims of the present study were to compare the gastric emptying of dry matter (DM) and liquids during the feeding period with that following meal consumption, to clarify the relationship between feeding and gastric emptying, and to investigate how gastric emptying changes in growing animals. The studies were performed in pigs fitted with a gastric cannula and fed on a normal finely ground solid diet mixed with water containing CrEDTA as liquid marker. Gastric emptying was measured using a gastric evacuation technique. It was observed that between 0.75 and 6 h after feeding the total amounts emptied increased, but the proportion of the meal emptied fell, with increase in meal size; emptying of both DM and liquids with large and small meals followed and exponential pattern. In contrast, while the animals were feeding, there was linear and rapid emptying of both DM and liquids following a very short (approximately 2 min) lag phase before emptying began. The rate of emptying increase...
Growing pigs' drinking behaviour: number of visits, duration, water intake and diurnal variation
Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience, 2014
Individual drinking patterns are a potential tool for disease monitoring in pigs. However, to date, individual pig drinking behaviour has not been described, and effects of external factors have not been examined. The aim of this study was to perform detailed quantification of drinking behaviour of growing pigs and to examine effects of period of day and effects of competition for access to the drinking nipple on the drinking behaviour, amount of water used and water wastage. In all, 52 cross-bred castrated male pigs (live weight 20.5±1.7 kg; mean±s.d.) maintained as either 3 (N3) or 10 (N10) pigs per pen and water nipple (four groups/treatment) were used. All pigs were fitted with a transponder ear tag. A radio frequency identification reader recorded and time stamped visits at the nipple. In each pen, water flow was logged every second. The drinking behaviour was recorded for 4 consecutive days and analysed using a linear mixed model. Overall, the pigs spent 594 s at the nipple du...
Appl An Beh Sc Pig Feeding Behaviour
Feeding strategy was studied in 205 growing boars in two blocks of 116 and 89 pigs of four breeds (Large White, Landrace, Duroc and Pietrain) respectively. Pigs were housed in groups of 12-14 individuals, with a single breed in each group. Feeding patterns were recorded with a computerized feed intake recording system. An individual meal criterion was applied to each pig to group visits into meals. Pigs were weighed every 10 days throughout the study to calculate average daily gain. For the four breeds, the number of meals or visits per day was negatively correlated with sizes of meals or visits (−0.88 ≤ r ≤ −0.74) and with duration of meals or visits (−0.86 ≤ r ≤ −0.69); size of meals or visits were positively correlated with duration of meals or visits (0.79 ≤ r ≤ 0.90). Total time feeding per day was negatively correlated with rate of feed intake (−0.79 ≤ r ≤ −0.67). Based on these results, four types of feeding strategies were described: 'meal eater', 'nibbler', 'fast eater' and 'slow eater'. The feeding parameters most highly correlated with average daily gain were feed intake per day (0.79 ≤ r ≤ 0.93), feed intake per visit or per meal (0.28 ≤ r ≤ 0.54) and rate of feed intake (0.38 ≤ r ≤ 0.43). Pigs showing 'meal eater and fast eater' strategies may have some productivity advantages. Breed had a significant effect on many feeding parameters: visits and meals were more frequent in Large White and Pietrain pigs than in Duroc and Landrace pigs, whereas pigs of the last two breeds had a higher size of visits than pigs of the other two breeds. Landrace and Large White pigs spent less total time feeding per day than Pietrain and Duroc pigs; and rate of feed intake was higher in Landrace and Large White pigs compared to Pietrain and Duroc animals. This suggests a 'specific feeding strategy' for each breed: Duroc pigs were 'meal and slow eaters', Landrace pigs were 'meal and fast eaters'; Large White pigs were 'nibblers and fast eaters', and Pietrain pigs were 'nibblers and slow eaters'. Changes in light intensity not only affected feeding activity, but also altered the feeding strategy: from 7 to 14 h pigs behaved as a 'nibblers and slow eaters'; from 14 to 20 h pigs showed a 'meal eater and fast eater' strategy, and from 20 to 7 h animals followed a 'meal eater and slow eater' strategy. (J. Fernández). daily feed intake and growth (e.g., r = 0.85 in . Daily feed intake is related to other feeding parameters and, for example, found a positive high correlation (r = 0.73) between daily feed intake and meal size. In fact, it is assumed that pigs have a desired level of daily feed intake that drives many other aspects of their feeding behaviour .
Defecation Pattern in Cross-Bred Weaner Pigs under Different Housing System
International Journal of Livestock Research, 2017
To study the defecation pattern, 24 crossbred (Landrace x Desi) weaned pigs were distributed randomly into the two groups. Group I: Pigs kept in pens with covered area but no open area (Intensive housing) while Group II: In pens having both covered and open area (Semi-Intensive). The defecation pattern was observed 24 hrs consecutively for five days. The defecation pattern in both groups differed significantly (P<0.01) day × location wise. In Group I: highest defecation was observed near drinker (a) and lowest defecation was observed near feeder (f). In Group II: highest number of defecation was observed near the middle gate location (c) and least number of defecation was observed in empty dry-4 location (f) of the open paddock. Total number of defecation by Group I and Group II weaner were 474 & 435 in 5 days observation, respectively. Each weaner defecated once in 3 hours in intensive housing and once in 3.2 hours in semi intensive housing. It can be concluded that in both systems, pigs maintained some of the locations for defecation purpose and avoided near feeder and lying area.
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica, 2008
The natural feeding behaviour of the pig is searching for feed by rooting activities throughout the day; self-feeding pigs randomly space their eating and drinking periods throughout the day consuming ten to twelve meals per day. Pigs in conventional fattening pig production are normally fed 2-3 times daily with the feed consumed within 15 minutes. The aim of this study was to determine if more frequent feedings could improve the performance of conventionally kept fattening pigs.