Deep bedding for swine production is a viable alternative at the small scale
Performance traits of finishing pigs housed in bagasse deep bed and fed with diets based on enriched sugar cane molasses are similar compared with the pigs on concrete floor.
Summary
Deep bedding technology to the small scale for the swine production in Cuba was evaluated. Seventy two pigs YL x CC21 castrated male and female pigs (1:1) averaging 75 days of age and 21 kg live weight, were used for measuring performance traits up to slaughter weight (approximately 100 kg live weight) and also the pig carcass characteristics and animal health indexes.
The pigs were allotted according to a random blocks design with two treatments: deep bedding based on 80 % of dried sugar cane bagasse and 20 % of gramineous hay and solid concrete floor, with four repetitions per treatment. The animals of both treatments consumed NUPROVIM-75 with enriched sugar cane molasses.
There were no significant differences for the feed conversion (kg/kg), daily gain (g/day) and final weight (kg) for the pigs in deep bedding system compared with the pigs on concrete floor: 3.08, 3.06; 868, 872; 101, 101, respectively. It was saved 151 m3 of water. It was concluded that the deep bedding technology for swine production is a viable alternative at the small scale.
Cruz E, Almaguel R E, Mederos C M, González C y Ly J 2009:
Rasgos de comportamiento de cerdos de engorde alojados en cama profunda de bagazo y alimentados con dietas basadas en mieles enriquecidas de caña de azúcar. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 21, Article #145.
Retrieved printDate()September 17, 2009.
Cruz E, Almaguel R E, Mederos C M, González C y Ly J 2009: Rasgos de comportamiento de cerdos de engorde alojados en cama profunda de bagazo y alimentados con dietas basadas en mieles enriquecidas de caña de azúcar. Livestock Research for Rural Development. Volume 21, Article #145. Retrieved printDate()September 17, 2009.