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Fermented bed flooring system enhances profitability in smallholder native pig production

Bounlerth Sivilai , Thonlai Vongpaserth, Juan Boo Liang

Abstract

Abstract Context: Traditional smallholder pig farming plays important role in farmers’ income and national food security in the low- and middle-income countries in SE Asia including Laos, however, its productivity is low and often is environmentally unsustainable. Aims: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of using fermented bed floor housing as comparing to the conventional concrete floor housing on growth, carcass treats and economic return in raising Laos native pigs. Methods: The study was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture, National University of Laos. Twenty four castrated native pigs, aged ±3 months with initial live weight of 17±2 kg/head were randomly assigned to the following housing types as treatments: (i) conventional concrete floor system (CS) as control, and (ii) fermented bed flooring system (FB). The pigs were fed with similar diet with 16.01% crude protein and 11,796 kJ/kg gross energy for a period of 84 days after 14 days adaptation to the feed. Each treatment was replicated 4 times (pens) with 3 pigs/pen. Data on feed intake, live weight change, carcass trait and costs and returns of production in the two treatments were analyzed using paired sample T-test. Key results: Pigs kept in FB flooring had higher DM and nutrients (CP, CF, EE and OM) intakes than their counterparts raised in the CS but the differences were not significant when adjusted to similar body weight basis. There were also no significant difference weights in growth performance (average daily gain, ADG and feed conversion ratio, FCR), and carcass traits except that pigs from FB had higher hot carcass weight, dressing percentage and rib and bone weights. Native pigs kept in the FB system had significantly total production cost because of the cost of the bedding material but it had 4 folds higher net income return generated from the sale of the fermented floor compost. Conclusion: Fermented bed flooring system has no significant impact on growth and key carcass traits but significantly enhances profit. Implication: Fermented bed flooring system should be promoted for rearing local pigs under smallholder farms to increase profit and protect the environment in the low- and middle-income countries. Keywords: housing types, native pigs, growth rate, carcass traits, feed costs

AN24061  Accepted 05 July 2024

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