FEEDING BEHAVIOUR OF CROSSBRED LARGE WHITE YORKSHIRE PIGS UNDER DIFFERENT FEEDING REGIMES

Abstract

A trial was conducted to document the feeding behaviour of crossbred Large White Yorkshire pigs under different feeding regimes. A total of 32 weaned crossbred (75 per cent) Large White Yorkshire piglets were selected at random comprising of eight piglets in each group and they were subjected to four different feeding treatments viz., 100 per cent concentrate (T1), 100 per cent swill (T2), 75 per cent swill plus 25 per cent concentrate (T3), 50 per cent swill plus 50 per cent concentrate feeding (T4). The pigs had free access to water in individual pens. The pigs were reared upto 180 days of age i.e four months after weaning. Feeding behaviour was recorded both manually and also by using video camera at fortnightly intervals in all the four groups. Intervals shorter than 5 min between visits to the feeder were regarded as within meal intervals and these visits were grouped info meals. Withdrawal of the snout from the feeder was taken as the end of feeding visit even when the pig re-entered the feeder immediately. There were highly significant (P<0.01) differences in the feeding behaviour except the number of meals per day between the treatment groups

Keywords

• feeding behaviour
• swill feed
• concentrate feed
• crossbred lwy pigs