Dietary inclusion of benzoic acid linearly reduced urinary nitrogen and total nitrogen excretion, as well as linearly reduced manure ammonia emissions.
Variations in finishing environment had specific effects on pork adipose attributes. Just one of the findings of a study, carried out by scientists in the US, that set out to compare the effects of finishing environment on growth performance, pork quality and lipid composition of pork.
Both feeding and rearing systems influence growth performance and carcass composition in pigs, through the relative growth deposition of fat and lean tissues.
Providing supplementary milk ad-lib from farrowing increased numbers weaned by 0.65 pigs per litter and the main reduction in mortality is seen where high numbers are reduced through poor nutritional support through lactation.
Tempo pigs grew faster and were more efficient than Pietrain or Landrace pigs. Just one of several findings of a study, carried out by researchers in Northern Ireland, to investigate the effect of breed on pig performance and carcass quality of pigs when taken to different slaughter weights
Including dried chicory in boar diets for two weeks before finishing reduced skatole concentrations in backfat to a level typical of castrates. But no improvement in odour scores occurred, probably because androstenone remained high.
Housing finishing entire male pigs in all-male groups led to an increase in injuries when initial within-group weight variation was low, and led to increased levels of mounting, which is likely to have a negative effect on welfare.
Stress due to tail docking in piglets is reduced by using a hot iron compared with blunt cutting.
The variability in piglet birthweight can be reduced by breeding along with other factors such as avoiding very large litters and high backfat gain during pregnancy
White painted handling races can improve handling ease which is of particular benefit to breeds such as Hampshires.
