Effectiveness of different systems of liquid feeding of piglets for additional growing in the conditions of industrial technology

Abstract

The article, a comparative analysis of the productivity of piglets during rearing under a liquid feeding system with fodder mixtures, which were mixed in the feed containers of the Hydro Mix Pro feeding system of the Big Dutchmen company and with the help of the portioned feeding system Spotmix II of the Austrian company Schauer, is made. It was found that the preparation and distribution of feed using the Spotmix II portioned feeding system resulted in 1.5 % better piglet survival, 9.6 % higher piglet growth rate during rearing, 9.5 % higher absolute gains during this period, higher by 7.3 % of the weight of animals when transferred to fattening compared to analogs that were raised on liquid feeding with feed mixing in feed tanks. It has been proven that piglets that were prepared, transported, and distributed feed using the Spotmix II system consumed 6.0 % more feed per day, consumed 7.0 % more during the period, the cost of which was 10.6 % higher. Meanwhile, their feed conversion was 2.3 % better, with almost the exact feed cost per kilogram gain. The feeding of piglets in growing-out using the Spotmix II portioned liquid feeding system led to a 10.6 % higher cost of feed, a 22.1 % higher amortization costs for the equipment for feed distribution and animal feeding, a 9.6 % higher cost of the growing-out process of one pig, and its cost price at the end of the growing period is 3.4 times higher. At the same time, such feeding contributed to higher growth energy of animals during rearing, which caused a 7.3 % higher sales price of piglets, a 17.3 % higher profit from the sale of one head, and a 5.2 % higher profitability of rearing piglets compared to liquid feeding using Hydro Mix Pro system with feed mixing in feed tanks.