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48
Better Pork
June 2016
EYE
ON
EUROPE
themselves.
The actual trial featured 192 wean-
ers in slatted pens; the maximum was
12 head per pen. They were fed with
liquid diet in two three-week phases
from 10 to just below 15 kilograms and
then 15 to over 28 kilograms. About half
the animals were offered straw pellets
ad lib, available from separate troughs
beside the sensor-controlled liquid feed
troughs.
In the first week, average straw pellet
intake was below 10 grams per head
each day. By week six, this intake had
increased to 55 grams per day. Also,
more liquid feed was consumed by the
straw pellet weaners: an average of 799
grams a day against 772 grams for non-
straw groups. Despite consuming more,
the straw pellet groups gained margin-
ally less. Average daily liveweight gain
over the six-week trial period worked
out at 450 grams against 462 grams for
the control weaners. The difference may
not have been significant, but in cash
terms it meant cost per kilogram of
Straw pellet appetizer for piglets
192 weaners
Liquid feed only
Plus ad lib straw pellets
Av. liveweight start (kg)
8.57
8.74
Six weeks on (kg)
27.5
27.2
Daily liveweight gain (g)
462
450
Daily feed intake (g)
772
799
Feed conversion ratio (1: )
1.68
1.78
Source: Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture, Schwarzenau
Offering straw pellets to liquid-fed piglets from week one post-weaning kept the young animals
occupied for longer each day. The pellets did not suppress the amount of high-value liquid feed
consumed by the piglets. In fact, the Bavarian researchers found liquid feed consumption was
actually higher with weaners fed straw pellets than the consumption found in control groups.