The Effects Of Restriction Of Feeding Time And Dietary Energy Concentration On Feeding Patterns And Behavior In Individully Housed Growing Pigs

The experiment was conducted to study the effects of restriction of feeding time and reduction of dietary energy concentration on feeding patterns and behavior in individually housed growing pigs by two experiments.In experiment I. four litters ?56.4?1.52 days, balanced for body weight and sex, were divided into two treatments. Four piglets from each litter were divided into two pairs and each of them was send into two different treatments. Thus, there were four pairs in each treatment. In the first treatment, four times feeding a day was provided without feed restriction. In the second treatment, low energy concentration diet was provided and the animals were fed twice a day.In experiment II, four litters , 87?1.48 days, balanced for body weight and sex, were divided into two treatment. Four piglets from each litter were divided into two pairs and each of them was send into two different treatments. Thus, there were four pairs of each treatment. In the first treatment, high energy concentration diet was provided and the aniamals were fed four times a day .In the second treatment, low concentration diet was given four times per day.Behavior was recorded by direct observation. With scan sampling was adopted and the time interval for each observation is one minutes. The number of visit to trough during the observation and gain growing per day, were recorded and the feed intake was also taken. The results of experiment I indicated that following the increasing of feeding time, the pigs withe four times feeding increased their numbers of visit to trough per day and feeding intake per visit to trough of a day. At the same time, the pigs' feeding intake per day and weight gain were also increased. While the behaviors of standing, walking and non-feeding mouth behaviors descended. But lying behavior increased. According the results of the experiment we conclud that feeding four times a day may benefitial the welfare of growing pigs.The results of experiment II indicated that following the reduction of the energy concentration of the diets, compared with business diets, the pigs with low energy concentration could increas their numbers of visit to trough per day and reduced the feeding intake of per visit to trough. Nowever, the weight gain was not found to be effected. The behaviors of standing, walking and the mouth behaviors were found to be increased butlying behavior was decreased.Master degree candidate: Kang Yunlong Major: Animal Nutrition and Feed ScienceSupervisor: Prof. Bao Jun...