Determining the Optimum Stocking Density in Nursery Pigs

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Swine Innovation by admin on December 22, 2016

Floor space allowance is a complex issue in swine production, and one that is critical for both economic and welfare reasons. The quantity of space provided substantially affects pig welfare by influencing behaviour, stress and social interactions, and has significant economic impacts on productivity and the total pig throughput possible on a farm. It’s important that recommendations for the minimum floor space allowance for groups of pigs are not arbitrary, but based on sound biological and economic research. The current space allowance requirements specified in the Canadian Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs are largely based on research performed on grower-finisher pigs. However, comparatively little is known on the effects of space allowance on nursery pigs, and current space allowance requirements may overestimate the requirements for nursery pigs due to their increased willingness to overlie one another. The objective of this project is to determine a precise value for the minimum space allowance for nursery pigs which provides an optimal and scientifically defensible balance between profitability and animal welfare.

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