A note on the effect of deep-litter housing on growth performance of growing-finishing pigs

Abstract

Performance of growing-finishing pigs raised on either a partially slatted floor or on deep litter was measured on a group of 60 animals. The body weight gain was depressed on deep litter from 9 to 16 wk of age while an opposite effect was observed from 16 to 20 wk of age (interaction floor × age P ≤ 0.004). Feed conversion did not follow exactly the same trend but tended (P ≤ 0.11) to be improved by deep-litter housing. It appears that the effects observed could mainly be linked to the thermal comfort of the animals. There was no treatment effect (P ≤ 0.16) on carcass measurements at slaughter. Further experiments are necessary to evaluate the appropriate requirements for ventilation and heating when the deep litter system is used in close confinement. Key words: Deep-litter housing, manure enzymes, growth performance, swine