Effect of Source of Pig, Housing System and Receiving Diet on Performance of Purchased Feeder Pigs2

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of source of pig, housing system and receiving diet on performance of purchased feeder pigs. Pigs purchased from distant auction markets (DM) gained slower for the first 13 d post-arrival (P<.01, trials 1 and 2) than pigs of similar size purchased from local, one-owner sources (LS). In trial 1, LS feeder pigs gained faster (P<.01) from purchase to 93 kg than DM pigs. In trial 2, the DM pigs were more efficient in feed conversion than LS pigs (P<.01). The DM pigs required more medical treatments than LS pigs (P<.01). In trial 1, pigs housed in mechanically ventilated, partially slatted-pen facilities gained faster (P<.1) than those in nonmechanically ventilated facilities whereas in trial 2, the reverse was true (P<.05). Pigs housed in the nonmechanically ventilated facilities had a higher incidence of scours (P<.01, trials 1 and 2) than those housed in the mechanically ventilated facilities. Death loss was less (P<.01) for pigs in the nonmechanically ventilated facilities (trial 2). Pigs fed a 16% crude protein receiving diet for 13 d containing 20% oats had a poorer (P<.01) feed efficiency than those fed a corn-soy basal diet or a diet containing 20% oats plus 5% lard (trial 1). At the termination of both trials, there were no differences in rate of gain or feed to gain ratio between the three receiving diets. Feeding diets containing 20% oats had no effect on the incidence of post - arrival scours but death loss was less (P<.1) for pigs fed the receiving diet containing 20% oats (trial 1).