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Report no. 664

Abstract
In one herd it was studied whether heat-treated, pelleted feed results in a better production economy in finishers than meal feed when tube feeders are used.

The aim was furthermore to study whether fresh meal feed results in better production results compared to pelleted feed.

The trial comprised three groups:

The trial showed that pelleted dry feed fed from tube feeders resulted in a significantly higher productivity (8-10%) compared with meal feed mixed on-farm and purchased meal feed. The freshly fed meal feed in group 3 did not deviate from the purchased meal feed that was delivered with an interval of two weeks. The increased productivity of the pigs given pelleted feed was primarily due to a better feed conversion (approx. 0.1 FUp per kg gain).

The difference in feed conversion between the pelleted feed and meal feed was smaller than what was seen in previous trials carried out in herds with simple dry feeders and single space feeders. One explanation could be that, compared with previous trials, the waste of meal feed was smaller in this trial due to the tube feeders. When using meal feed, it is particularly important to be aware of feed waste, as there is a high risk of waste.

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