Newly weaned piglets show a strong preference towards centrally positioned circular feeder

Abstract

At weaning, piglets undergo an immediate transition from mother’s milk to the feed mixture. Feed refusal and growth lag is, therefore, a frequent feeding disorder in newly weaned piglets. The present study aimed to determine whether newly weaned piglets adapt their feeding preferences towards feeders of different types/shapes and positions. A total of 120 piglets were included in the study. The analysis was carried out in low- and high-density groups, with 10 or 20 individuals per pen, respectively. Two different feeders were present in the weaning pen: a hopper (circular/central) and a trough (rectangular/sidewall). Piglet activity was video-recorded, and the number of piglets in each feeder was counted. The results showed nearly five times higher competition at the feeder in the high-density groups (p < .0001). In both high- and low-density groups, piglets showed a significant preference towards the hopper (4 and 24 times higher number of piglets at the hopper compared to the trough, respectively; p < .0001). The trough feeder was mainly chosen when the (preferred) hopper feeder was occupied by a higher number of piglets (p < .0001). There are several co-founding factors that explain the observed phenomenon: the distance from the resting area, the perception of the circular feeder as less competitive, and contra-freeloading. However, the results showed that the feeder type/position should be considered when planning the layout of a weaning pen.