Wean-to-finishing works fine in USA
Wean-to-finishing works fine in USA
By Richard Allison
SWITCHING to a US-style wean to finish pig system will cut labour costs and help in the fight against pig wasting diseases, says one US researcher.
Over the past five years, increasing numbers of producers in the mid-west area of the USA and Mexico have adopted wean to finish systems, says University of Illinois researcher Mike Ellis.
"It involves taking pigs from weaning to slaughter in the same pen, cutting labour needed for moving animals and cleaning pens compared with multi-stage systems. Animal stress is also reduced with fewer moves and less crowding around weaning.
"Piglets are typically brought into the building at 17-20 days of age, about 30 sharing a pen large enough for when they reach their finishing weight. This provides acres of space between animals during the early stages."
This empty space highlights under use of floor space during the early growth period, but it is one of the few disadvantages claimed with this system, says Prof Ellis.
"For this system to be successful, it is essential to encourage piglets to eat as much solid food at weaning as possible. US producers often design pens with an area of rubber matting over the slats near the feeders with a heat lamp fitted above to encourage eating."
In one study at the university, placing extra feed on the rubber mat for three weeks after weaning enhanced feed intakes. "Piglets ate 96g a day more feed during the first week with a 20% increase in liveweight gain during the same period."
The form of feed in the trough was also investigated. Feeding wet feed instead of dry compound had no benefit on piglet intake and performance during the three-week period, he says.
Prof Ellis believes UKproducers can also benefit from placing feed on mats in nursery pens. "This practice also reduced piglet mortality."
Another practice on US units using the wean to finish system is to send pigs to slaughter over a three-week period, with heaviest animals sent first. "Removing about 30% of the heaviest pigs from a pen at slaughter weight increases daily gains of remaining pigs by 6-15%."
But one disadvantage with this system is that the capital cost a pig is about 5-7% more expensive than a typical UK nursery plus grower/finisher system. But Prof Ellis believes the cost savings of reduced piglet losses and lower labour inputs makes the system economic, particularly with a lower incidence of wasting diseases.
While some US producers are promoting the system, there is considerable controversy as researchers fail to see any benefits in trials. "But recent work at the university with 1000s of pigs found benefits, supporting producers claims," he adds. *
WEAN TO FINISH
• Increasingly popular in US.
• Reduces labour and stress.
• Could reduce wasting disease.
Keeping pigs in the same pen and group from weaning to finishing may increase feed intakes and growth rates, says Mike Ellis.
• Increasingly popular in US.
• Reduces labour and stress.
• Could reduce wasting disease.