Double and Triple Decking of Pigs to Increase Nursery Capacity

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Abstract
Two series of 5-week trials were conducted to compare single, double and triple deck environmentally controlled housing of crossbred pigs weaned at 21 to 28 days of age. In Series I, a single deck nursery (four-.9 × 3.6 m pens) and a double deck nursery (bottom, four-.9 × 3.6 m pens and top, four-.9 × 2.4 m pens) were compared in three trials using 360 pigs. In Series II, decks in a triple deck cage nursery (four-.6 × 1.2 m cages/deck) were compared in three trials using 96 pigs. In all trials urine and feces were allowed to pass through the pen or cage to the pit or floor below. A corn-soybean meal diet containing 10% dried whole whey and water were provided free choice in all trials. In Series I, overall average daily gain, feed intake and feed to gain ratio were not different (P>.10) between pigs housed in the single and double deck nurseries. In Series II, there was no difference in the overall performance of pigs housed on the top, middle or bottom decks. Average daily gain, average daily feed intake and feed to gain ratio were .33 and .32 kg, .59 and .49 kg, and 1.79 and 1.53, respectively, for Series I (single and double deck combined) and Series II (triple deck). Pigs housed on all decks performed well with no apparent effect on the health, appearance and behavior of the pigs. Copyright © 1979. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1979 by American Society of Animal Science.