title: Feeder use patterns in group-housed pregnant sows fed with an unprotected electronic sow feeder (Fitmix).
abstract: Previous studies on feeder use in group-housed pregnant sows focused on dynamic groups and protected electronic sow feeders (ESF). This study observed 60 pregnant sows, 1st to 8th parity--housed from Day 29 of pregnancy to 1 week before parturition in stable groups of 20 animals, 1 Fitmix feeder per group. Data from 25 nonconsecutive 24-hr feeding cycles showed sows making several visits to the feeder. Literature on conventional ESF indicated shorter daily feeder occupation. Daily feeder occupation per sow decreased over time (p < .001). The study observed maximum feeder activity in the hours following the start of each feeding cycle. During the experiment, there was a relatively stable, quickly established, and maintained feeder order (W > 0.80, p < .001). This highly correlated with dominance rank (r(s) = 0.80, p < .001). High-ranking sows fed earlier and made as many--but longer--visits as low-ranking sows; thus, they occupied the feeder more time every day (p < .01). Although optimization of the feeder efficiency may take several weeks, Fitmix seems an efficient feeding system for medium-size, stable groups of sows.
authors.affiliation: Animal Nutrition, Management and Welfare Research Group, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain. chapinal@interchange.ubc.ca
authors.forename: Núria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chapinal
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ruiz-de-la-Torre
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerisuelo
authors.forename: María Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Baucells
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gasa
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Manteca
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006799:Housing, Animal; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013552:Swine