Relationships between physical characteristics of the pig house, the engineering and control systems of the environment, and production parameters of growing pigs

Abstract

In order to explain variations of parameters related to growth, feed conversion ratio and mortality rate of fattening pigs, relationships with building characteristics of the pig houses were investigated. The variations of the mortality rate and the length of the fattening period were explained by the variation of the surface area and the volume of the pig house. The occurrence of tail biting was partly explained by the variation of the available space for the pigs and the variations of the inside temperature. The importance of the regulation of the air inlet was indicated. Animals with coughs tended to grow slower, and the carcasses were classified into the lower commercial grades. On the other hand, fast growing animals tended to realize a lower feed conversion ratio, but were classified in the high and the low carcass grades as well. A significant proportion of the variation of the production parameters was explained by the variation of building characteristics and the environmental engineering and control systems. In addition to guidelines concerning environmental conditions, additional suggestions have to be formulated concerning thermoregulatory behavior and the prevention of health problems to optimize the pig production process.