A total of 1,201 finishing pigs (initially 63 lb) were used in a 99-d growth trial to evaluate the effects of increasing stocking density on finishing pig growth performance. Single-sex pens of barrows and gilts were blocked to minimize variation due to gender and barn location. There were 12 pens...

A total of 976 pigs (PIC 327 × Camborough; PIC, Hendersonville, TN; initially 22.0 ± 1.53 kg body weight [BW]) were used in a 160-d growth study to evaluate the effects of increasing space allowance and varying marketing strategies on growth performance of pigs raised to market weights of ~165 kg. ...

Feeding systems should focus on providing sows protection when eating and equal feeding opportunities to prevent competition. Sows should be allowed to consume their entire meal during a single visit to the feeder to minimize aggression at mealtime. Generally, 30% neutral detergent fiber has been...

Floor space allowance for pigs has substantial effects on pig growth and welfare. Data from 30 papers examining the influence of floor space allowance on the growth of finishing pigs was used in a meta-analysis to develop alternative prediction equations for average daily gain (ADG), average daily...

A total of 1,092 finishing pigs (initially 36.3 kg) were used in a 117-d study to evaluate the impact of initial floor space allowance and removal strategy on the growth of pigs up to 140 kg BW. There were 4 experimental treatments with 14 pens per treatment. The first treatment provided 0.91 m²...

Weaning is a crucial phase of swine production marked by a multitude of biological and environmental stressors, which have a significant impact on immediate postweaning behavior and feed intake (FI). During this time, the piglet's gastrointestinal (GI) system is also undergoing extensive...

Current floor space allowances were determined in research studies conducted 10 to 20 yr ago using pigs that were marketed at a BW of about 113 kg or less. Currently, pork producers are regularly marketing pigs that weigh over 128 kg. Given this precipitous increase in market weight, we conducted 2 ...

Preweaning strategies to minimize fallback pigs in the nursery include cross fostering, creep feeding, and weaning an older pig. Postweaning strategies to minimize fallback pigs in the nursery include optimum barn temperature and ventilation set points, easy access to feed and water, and proactive...

The economic impact of removing the heaviest pigs (topping) before marketing a finishing group and the effect of topping on performance of the remaining pigs were determined in 2 studies. In Exp. 1, a total of 1,126 pigs (BW=241 lb; 25 pigs/pen) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: topping...

A total of 336 finishing gilts (initially 258 lb) were used in a 21-d growth trial to evaluate the effects of increasing stocking density on performance of pigs classified in the slower-growing fraction of the pig population. Pens of gilts were blocked to minimize variation associated with barn...