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. 2023 Apr 24;7(1):txad040. doi: 10.1093/tas/txad040

Table 1.

The effect of sow lactation feeder type on sow and litter performance1

Item PVC tube Rotecna SowMax SEM P-value
Sow body weight (lines 2 and 3 sire)
 N 157 153 151 – –
 Parity 2.8 3.0 2.9 – –
 Entry, kg 223.2 221.4 225.1 4.59 0.580
 Weaning, kg2 194.0 194.9 193.6 2.75 0.725
 Weight change, kg2 −31.4 −30.6 −31.8 2.75 0.725
 Weight change, %2 14.1 13.7 14.2 1.22 0.724
All sow feed disappearance (lines 2 and 3 sire)
 N 198 194 191 – –
 Parity 3.0 3.1 3.0 – –
 Total feed disappearance, kg 134.7a 130.4a,b 127.6b 6.50 0.056
 Daily feed disappearance, kg 6.3a 6.1a,b 5.9b 0.31 0.027
 Lactation feed cost, $3 39.34a 38.09a,b 37.26b 1.899 0.055
Sows with litter performance (Only line 2 sire)
 N 145 145 142 – –
 Parity 3.5 3.6 3.5 – –
 Lactation length, d 21.5 21.5 21.5 0.43 0.994
 Total feed disappearance, kg 142.2a 139.5a 131.9b 8.06 0.003
 Daily feed disappearance, kg 6.6a 6.5a 6.1b 0.37 0.002
 Lactation feed cost, $3 41.55a 40.74a 38.52b 2.354 0.003
 Total born, n 17.5 17.2 16.8 0.35 0.356
 Live born, n4 15.4 15.7 15.3 0.33 0.729
 Viable live born, n4 14.0 14.5 13.9 0.32 0.418
 Nonviable live born, n4,5 1.3 1.1 1.3 0.12 0.450
 Stillborn, n4 1.1 0.9 1.2 0.11 0.215
 Mummified, n4 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.04 0.389
 Litter birth weight, kg4 20.1 20.1 19.7 0.37 0.600
 Pig birth weight, kg4 1.5 1.4 1.4 0.02 0.156
 Litter size at 24 h, n4 14.4 14.8 14.1 0.32 0.271
 Litter weaning weight, kg6 73.3 74.6 74.4 2.43 0.588
 Pig weaning weight, kg6 5.7 5.8 5.8 0.16 0.328
 Litter weight gain, kg6 53.2 54.8 54.5 2.55 0.406
 Litter average daily gain, kg6 2.5 2.5 2.5 0.11 0.452
 Weaned, n6 12.9 12.9 12.9 0.31 0.991
 Preweaned mortalities, % of live born7 18.7 17.9 16.8 1.09 0.440
 Preweaned mortalities, % of litter size at 24 h8 10.5 11.0 9.3 0.83 0.285
 Litter feed efficiency9 0.39a 0.40a,b 0.42b 0.074 0.021
 Litter value, $3,6 113.15 115.05 114.78 3.752 0.588
 Litter value over lactation feed cost, $6 71.39y 74.34x,y 76.06x 1.777 0.060
 Feed cost per pig weaned, $6 3.26a 3.22a,b 3.02b 0.172 0.014
 Feed cost per kg of litter weight gain, $ 0.82a 0.77a,b 0.74b 0.021 0.031
Sow subsequent performance (Line 2 and 3 sire)10
  N 189 184 180 – –
  Parity 2.9 3.0 2.9 – –
  Bred by 7 d, % 80.0 76.3 78.5 3.81 0.395
  Bred by 14 d, % 81.5 78.3 78.9 3.54 0.336
  Bred by 30 d, % 95.2 93.6 94.4 2.27 0.257
  Subsequent farrowing rate, % 90.4 89.4 85.4 2.98 0.314
  Subsequent total born, n 16.2 16.2 16.0 0.40 0.901
Feeder cleaning criteria
  N 19 23 25 – –
  Time per feeder, s 43.6y 53.3x 51.0x,y 10.01 0.053
  Cleaning cost per feeder, $3 0.18y 0.22x 0.21x,y 0.042 0.053

1A total of 600 mixed parity sows (PIC, line 3) that were bred to lines 2 and 3 sires were used with 200 sows per treatment. Pigs of sows bred to line 2 sires were included in the litter performance data. Sows were weighed on days 110, 111, or 112 of gestation, blocked by parity category and BCS, and allotted to treatment stalls at the time of entry to the farrowing house.

2Entry BW was used as a covariate.

3Lactation feed cost was US$0.29/kg.

4Total born was used as a covariate.

5Nonviable pigs were pigs with low birth weight or dead before ear tagging.

6Litter size at 24 h after cross fostering was used as a covariate.

7Preweaned mortalities, % of live born = [(Total dead after birth)/(Viable live-born + nonviable live-born)] × 100%

8Preweaned mortalities, % of litter size = [(Dead after cross-fostering)/(Litter size at 24 h)] × 100%

9Litter feed efficiency = Total litter weight gain/total feed disappearance.

10Subsequent performance data were obtained approximately 1 mo after weaning. Sows that were culled due to old age, structural problems, or death were not included.

a,bMeans within a row with different superscripts differ (P ≤ 0.05).

x,yMeans within a row with different superscripts differ (0.05 < P ≤ 0.10).