Abstract:
Abstract: With the development of big sized finishing pigs rearing under commercial conditions in China, farmers were looking for the suitable allocations of wet-dry feeders and drinkers to save water and feed. An experiment was conducted to study the effect of new allocations of wet-dry feeders and drinkers on performance and water saving of finishing pigs compared with conventional allocations. The experiment was arranged with 4 replications for each treatment and 60 pigs per group (each group was made up of two pig pens). The experimental group new allocations: CS - stainless steel dry-wet feeder with 4 spaces, and there was a fence between two feeder spaces; 2 nipple drinkers were setup above the feeder, pigs could eat wet-dry feed of their free will. 2 cup drinkers in the two pens (1 for each pen) were named supplementary drinkers. The control group conventional allocations: Plastic dry-wet feeder with 8~12 spaces, there was no fence between feeder spaces, and there was 1 nipple drinker on each wet area, so pigs could eat wet-dry feed of their free will. 6 cup drinkers in two pens (3 for each pen) were named supplementary drinkers in the control group. The cup drinkers in the experimental group were turned off from 93 to 100 d (pigs age) and turned on from 101 to 140 d. The cup drinkers in the control group were turned on from 93 to 140 d. There was no significant difference in average initial body mass between experimental group and control group (the initial body mass was 41.3 kg for experimental group and 41.8 kg for control group (P>0.05)). They were used to evaluate the effect on production performance and water consumption. Environmental indices were monitored at the same time. When cup drinkers of the experimental group were turned off, there was no significant difference between experimental group and control group: (1.93±0.30) vs (1.92±0.35) kg for average daily feed consumption(P>0.05), (0.88±0.06) vs (0.85±0.16) kg for average daily body mass gain (P>0.05), (2.17±0.03) vs (2.25±0.24) for the ratio of feed consumption to body mass gain (P>0.05). However, the average daily water consumption for per pig had remarkable significant difference (P<0.01) between experimental group and control group, (8.62±2.21) vs (22.89±3.55) L. Water consumption from feeder was 100% and 3.36% of total water consumption for experimental group and control group, respectively. When cup drinkers of experimental group were turned on, production performance and water consumption of finishing pigs between the experimental group and control group were not significant different (P>0.05). Average daily feed consumption of experimental group and control group was (2.67±0.42) and (2.71±0.44) kg, respectively; and average daily body mass gain was (1.01±0.05) and (1.04±0.04) kg, respectively; ratio of feed consumption to body mass gain was (2.59±0.08) and (2.55±0.12), respectively. The average daily water consumption for per pig was (24.03±3.11) and (28.66±4.92) L, respectively; and water consumption from feeder was 3.70% and 2.69% of total water consumption, respectively, the wet-dry feeder could meet the drinking water demand of finishing pigs with body mass during 50.7 and 71.8 kg. The ratio of water to feed (1:2.5-1:3.5) was preferred when the pigs could eat wet-dry feed of their free will. Animal welfare needed to be considered to find the accuracy of feeding spaces and drinking spaces allocation.