Pelleting of diet ingredients: effect of feed presentation on performance, diet selection and feed intake behaviour in piglets

The pre-manufacture of separate diet ingredients into pellets and subsequent mixing the different pellets to a complete feed was examined as an alternative method to the routine manufacturing procedures. The main objective of the study was to compare the performance of pigs offered ad libitum diets composed of 3 different pellets. In a growth trial, feed intake and weight gain were studied using 6 dietary treatments in a 3 x 2 split-plot design. Three diets were tested, a control and 2 experimental diets in the presence or absence of a feed flavour. Diets were of similar ingredient and nutrient composition but the experimental diets were composed of 3 separate pellets that were equal or different in their NE content. 60 cross-bred pigs, 30.4 kg, were individually housed and fed diets ad libitum in the dry form once a day and in only one feed trough. No significant effects of diet on daily gain, feed intake and feed conversion efficiency were observed and no interaction between diet and feed flavour was found. From the design of the experiment it was not definitely clear that single-fed pigs selected between the different pellets as measured by the difference between the offered and consumed quantity of pellets. Feed intake behaviour, as measured by the cumulative scores of 10 pigs during 20 days, did not differ between diets or flavour. Diet selection and feed intake behaviour can only be indicative since the trial design was inherent to the main objective of the study, which was the performance response.