Fattening pig: influence of the housing system on fat free lean

The degree to which the housing system with fully slatted floor (without outdoor area) or the littered multy-surface system with restricted outdoor area may have an influence on that fat free lean (FFL) of fattening pigs was examined on the basis of data from 95 farms. In the system with fully slatted floor, the FFL of carcass and belly was significantly higher than in the littered multy-surface system with restricted outdoor area. During the second fattening period (winter-spring 2000/2001), the FFL values were higher than during the first fattening period (summer-autumn 2000). When analysing the interaction between housing system and fattening period, the FFL values of pigs kept in the littered multi-surface system with restricted outdoor area were significantly lower only in the first fattening period. Therefore no system-immanent effect can be assigned to either of the two housing systems. A tendency was observed for higher FFA values in pigs with complete feeding compared with pigs with whey feeding system.