The IVOG® feeding station:: a tool for monitoring the individual feed intake of group-housed weanling pigs

Three batches of weanling pigs (total n = 310 pigs) were used in a 34-day experiment to validate the use of an IVOG(R) feeding station as a tool for monitoring individual feed intake of group-housed weanling pigs. An IVOG(R) feeding station for weanling pigs consists of a single-space dry feeder placed on a load cell in combination with electronic identification. Data of 192 weanling pigs (18 pens) fed by IVOG(R) feeding stations were used to develop a protocol for the screening of IVOG(R) data. To assess the quality of the IVOG(R) data, the feed intake per pen computed from the screened IVOG(R) data was compared with the feed intake calculated from feed weighing. To assess the suitability of the use of IVOG(R) feeding stations under practical pig husbandry conditions, performance of 96 weanling pigs fed by the IVOG(R) feeding stations was compared with that of 118 weanling pigs that were fed using commercial single-space dry feeders (11 pens). Feed intake per pen computed from the IVOG(R) data was similar to the feed intake calculated from feed weighing (average recovery 101.1%) for all test periods (p > 0.1). Furthermore, feed recovery did not differ among feeding stations (p > 0.1). During the first 13 days after weaning, the average daily feed intake (ADFI) of weanling pigs fed by the single-space dry feeders was higher (p < 0.05) than that of weanling pigs fed by the feeding stations. Average daily gain and gain to feed ratios did not differ (p > 0.1) between both feeding systems. During the remaining 21 days and averaged over the entire experimental period, performance did not differ between the feeding systems (p > 0.1). It can be concluded that IVOG(R) feeding stations for weanling pigs are a suitable tool to monitor individual feed intake of group-housed weanling pigs.