Animal. 2026 Jan 20;20(3):101763. doi: 10.1016/j.animal.2026.101763. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Optimisation of slaughter weight is crucial for efficient farm management in all-in-all-out systems, but growth variability within pig batches complicates uniform marketing. This study aimed to reduce heterogeneity by developing a decision support system (DSS) for precision feeding, improving BW performance, thereby reducing batch variability. A 103-day commercial trial involving 365 pigs compared conventional 3-phase feeding with individual precision feeding (IPF). Two control groups, Control A and Control B (n = 81 each, six pens/group), received diets with stepwise standardised ileal digestible lysine (SID Lys) concentrations (8.80, 9.80, 10.60 g/kg and 9.00, 10.00, 10.80 g/kg, respectively) from traditional feeders, with feed intake recorded manually. In contrast, the IPF group (n = 203, nine pens) utilised robotic feeders to provide individually tailored diets. These were formulated in real-time by blending high (11.83 g/kg) and low (6.59 g/kg) SID Lys feeds. A DSS, integrating a nutritional model, stakeholder directives (minimum and limited daily decreases in the SID Lys concentration), and a qualitative model, calculated each pig’s requirements based on automatically collected real-time BW and feed intake data. Performance metrics were similar across all groups. However, the IPF group (18.55 g/kg) was more efficient in utilising SID Lys, requiring less per kg of live weight gain than Control A (19.67 g/kg) and Control B (19.71 g/kg). When pigs were classified by initial BW – heavy (HBW, IPF: 26; Control A: 23; Control B: 20 animals), moderate (MBW, IPF: 98; Control A: 39; Control B: 41 animals) and light-body-weight (LBW, IPF: 79; Control A: 19; Control B: 20 animals) – the IPF group showed an improvement of 4.2-6.8 kg in growth performance for HBW, and 2.6-4.3 kg in LBW, compared to controls, although not statistically significant. While overall batch variability remained similar (CV: 11.6% IPF, 11.9% Control A, 12.2% Control B), the IPF group was more homogeneous among LBW pigs (9.5%) compared to controls (11.5% and 13.8%). Greater HBW variation in IPF group balanced overall variability. Although direct feed cost savings and nitrogen excretion reductions were not achieved – attributed to technical feed distribution issues in the final phase and higher CP baselines in the experimental diets – an economic estimation revealed that the system’s profitability was driven by output maximisation. In conclusion, the DSS proved feasible for real-time commercial application, successfully enhancing nutrient utilisation efficiency and optimising the growth of animals at the extremes of the population distribution.
PMID:41666499 | DOI:10.1016/j.animal.2026.101763
