THE INFLUENCE OF SEQUENTIAL AND SIMULTANEOUS FEEDING AND THE AVAILABILITY OF STRAW ON THE BEHAVIOR OF GILTS IN GROUP HOUSING

Effects of two feeding systems and the unlimited availability of straw in a rack on behaviour of gilts in group housing were studied in an e xperiment with 240 gilts. In three replications four treatments were c ompared; electronic feeding station for sequential feeding of sows hav ing access to straw in a separate feeding rack (ESF with straw) or not (ESF without straw) and electronically controlled simultaneous feedin g in boxes and with straw available (FB with straw) or no straw in the feeding rack (FB without straw). The animals were active for 13.7, 13 .5, 17.1 and 13.9% of their time in respectively ESF with straw, ESF w ithout straw, FB with straw and FB without straw, the interaction betw een feeding system and availability of straw being significant (P < 0. 01). Animals visited the feeding system 6, 6, 13 and 15 times per day for respectively ESF with straw, ESF without straw, FB with straw and FB without straw. Synchronization of eating straw was higher in the FB system while the engagement with the concentrate feeder was higher in the ESF system. There were more injuries on the hindquarters of sows in the ESF treatments, whereas the availability of straw had no effect . It is concluded the sequential feeding of group housed juvenile pigs with an ESF caused serious behavioural problems among the animals.