Emissions de vapeur d’eau et bilan azoté lors de l’élevage de porcelets sevrés sur litière accumulée de sciure

in Annales de Zootechnie (2000), 49

Five batches of a total of 180 weaned pigs were reared successively in an experimental room on 30 cm deep litter without cleaning between the batches. The litter was a mixture of sawdust from coniferous ... [more ▼]

Five batches of a total of 180 weaned pigs were reared successively in an experimental room on 30 cm deep litter without cleaning between the batches. The litter was a mixture of sawdust from coniferous and beech trees. Water was added to the Litter every 10 days to lower the dust concentration in the room. The total amounts of sawdust and water used were respectively 21.3 kg per pig and 10.21 per pig. The mean temperature of the litter at 20 cm depth recorded during each of the 5 periods varied from 32.5 degrees C to 41.8 degrees C. The average liveweight of the pigs at the beginning and at the end of the post-weaning period was respectively 7.9 +/- 1.2 kg and 24.5 +/- 4.2 kg. The average daily gain was 392 +/- 87 g. The temperature and the relative humidity of the air inside and outside the experimental room and the ventilation rate were continuously recorded in order to calculate the water vapour emission for each batch. The amount of water vapour produced was significantly correlated to the water consumption of the pigs and reached an average of 1 732 g per pig per day. This amount is 36% greater than the reference used for pigs on slatted floors. This value may be used as a reference to calculate the minimum ventilation rate for piggeries with pigs on sawdust deep litters. The amount of compost produced was 19.9 kg per pig with a dry matter content of 44.7%. The amount of nitrogen in the compost was 231 g per pig which is about 50% lower than the reference used for the slurry. The volatile nitrogen emissions are thus much higher from composts than from slurries [less ▲]

Comparison of performance, water intake and feeding behaviour of weaned pigs fed either pellets or meal

in Animal Science (1999), 69

Performance, water intake and feeding behaviour of two groups of 30 (trial 1), 40 (trial 2) or 50 (trial 3) weaned pigs offered either pellets ol meal of the same formulation were compared. Average daily ... [more ▼]

Performance, water intake and feeding behaviour of two groups of 30 (trial 1), 40 (trial 2) or 50 (trial 3) weaned pigs offered either pellets ol meal of the same formulation were compared. Average daily weight gains (ADG) were higher for pigs given pellets rather than meal in trials 2 (413 v. 363 g/day P < 0.001) and 3 (356 v. 324 g/day, P < 0.05). Mean daily water intake (DWI) was higher with meal than with pellets but only during trial 1 (2.31 y. 1.65 l/day, P < 0.01). The occupation time (OT) and the number of animals using the feeder simultaneously (N) were higher when pigs were given meal rather than pellets, whatever the animal density: trial 1: 82.6 v. 69.9% (P = 0.05) and 3.8 v. 2.3 (P < 0.01); trial 2: 90.9 v. 77.9% (P > 0.05) and 5.2 v. 3.1 (P < 0.01); trial 3: 96.2 v. 83.6% (P < 0.05) and 5.9 v. 3.8 (P < 0.01). When using pellets, OT and N were always significantly lower during the night than during the day but when using meal in groups of 40 and 50, OT during the night was almost as high as during the day. The greater the group size, the lower were ADG (both diets) and DWI (only with meal) and the higher were OT and N (both diets). Furthermore, significant linens and curvilinear regressions of DWI, OT and N according to time were calculated. In conclusion, pigs need more time to eat meal than to eat pellets. Thus the number of pigs per feeder has to be adapted to the food presentation. Too high number of pigs per feeder impairs feeding behaviour and eventually welfare, by preventing preferential diurnal feeding activity and this may affect productivity [less ▲]

Feeding weaned pigs pellets or meal? Effects on performance, water intake and eating behaviour

in Proceedings of the 50th EAAP (1999)

Comparison of feeding behaviour and performance of weaned piglets fed with two types of dry feeders with integrated drinkers.

in Animal Science (1999), 68

Effects of Caesarean section on behaviour of Belgian Blue cows and their calves.

Article for general public (1999)

Bilan environnemental de l'hébergement de porcelets sevrés sur litière accumulée de sciure

in 31èmes Journées de la Recherche Porcine en France (1999)

Six batches of weaner pigs (N=440) were reared successively on a deep litter with sawdust without cleaning between the batches. The average liveweight of the pigs at the beginning and at the end of the ... [more ▼]

Six batches of weaner pigs (N=440) were reared successively on a deep litter with sawdust without cleaning between the batches. The average liveweight of the pigs at the beginning and at the end of the post-weaning period was 8.42.4 and 26.04.6 kg. The average daily gain was 42298 g. Each piglet needed 12 kg of sawdust and produced 15 kg of manure. The average temperature of the litter at 20 cm depth was 33.8C. At the end of the experimental period, the dry matter (DM) content of the litter was 49% and the N content 19 g/kg DM. The C/N ratio decreased progressively from 82 to 25. The water evaporation rate was 92% and the N gas-emission rate 75%. The amount of N in the compost was 139 g/piglet. The average NH3 concentration in the experimental rooms was 8.75.2 ppm and the dust concentration 270136 particles/ml. 90% of particles were in the size range of 0.3-0.5 m. To decrease the dust concentration water was regularly added to the litter at a rate of 0.94 l/kg sawdust. [less ▲]

Developpement d'une méthodologie destinée à mesurer les réactions de peur chez le cheval. Application à l'étude de l'influence de différents facteurs.

in Compte rendu de la 24ème Journée de la Recherche Equine (1998)

Comparison of feeding behaviour and performance of weaned piglets fed with two types of dry feeders with integrated Drinkers

in Proceedings of the 32nd International congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology (1998)

Comportement des porcs engraissés sur litière biomaîtrisée: quantification des comportements d'interaction avec la litière et localisation par rapport aux zones de repos et d'élimination

in Proceedings du XXXème Colloque de la SFECA (Société Française d'Etude du Comportement Animal) (1998)

Effects of an enriched environment before weaning and around parturition on subsequent fear reactions of artificially reared lambs and ewes

Conference (1997)