The effect of choice feeding complete diets on the performance of weaned pigs

Abstract Post-weaning growth rate in pigs is frequently poor and variable. Choice feeding may offer the opportunity to rectify this. In experiment 1, 24 mixed sex groups of 16 pigs weaned with an average weight of 6·8 kg were blocked on weaning weight and assigned at random to the following treatments: (A) starter diet (18·3 g/kg lysine and 16·6 MJ digestible energy (DE) per kg) for 11 days followed by link diet (15·0 g/kg lysine and 15·3 MJ DE per kg) to 27 days; (B) starter diet and link diet offered in a free choice to 27 days; and (C) starter diet and weaner diet (13·0 g/kg lysine and 14·3 MJ DE per kg) offered in a free choice to 27 days. In experiment 2, 66 pigs were weaned at 6·3 kg, blocked as individuals on sex and weight and were randomly assigned to treatments as in experiment 1. In experiment 3, 24 single sex groups of 16 pigs were formed from pigs weaned at 7·8 kg. The groups were blocked on the basis of weaning weight and randomly assigned to the following treatments: (A) starter diet for 11 days followed by link diet to 26 days, (B) starter diet and link diet offered in a free choice to 26 days and (C) starter diet and link diet offered in a free choice to 26 days with feeder position rotated twice weekly. In experiments 1 and 3 pigs were offered a common weaner diet (14·1 g/kg lysine and 14·4 MJ DE per kg) following the experimental period. In experiment 1, daily gain was 406, 410 and 397 g/day (s.e. 6·6; P > 0·05) and food coversion efficiency (FCE) was 1·24, 1·21 and 1·27 g/g (s.e. 0·01; P < 0·01) during the period from day 0 to 27 for treatments A, B and C, respectively. The proportion of the diet selected as starter diet was 0·20, 0·50 and 0·47 (s.e. 0·023; P < 0·001) for treatments A, B and C, respectively. Within-pen variation in pig weight was similar for all treatments at day 14, 27 and 56 (P > 0·05), respectively. In experiment 2, daily gain was 403, 436 and 394 g/day (s.e. 13·0; P = 0·07) and FCE was 1·19, 1·16 and 1·24 g/g (s.e. 0·02; P < 0·05) during the period from day 0 to 26 for treatments A, B and C, respectively. The proportion of the diet selected as starter diet was 0·20, 0·57 and 0·53 (s.e. 0·024; P < 0·001) for treatments A, B and C, respectively. In experiment 3, daily gain was 465, 486 and 488 g/day (s.e.9·4; P > 0·05) and FCE was 1·14, 1·11 and 1·07 g/g (s.e. 0·015; P < 0·01) during the period from day 0 to 26 for treatments A, B and C, respectively. The proportion of the diet selected as starter diet was 0·21, 0·49 and 0·55 (s.e. 0·022; P < 0·001) for treatments A, B and C, respectively. Pig weight at day 49 was 36·4, 37·1 and 37·3 kg (s.e. 0·27; P = 0·09). It was concluded from these experiments that choice feeding did improve pig performance when a choice of starter and link diet was offered.