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Forty-eight growing-finishing pigs were used in a split-plot design with a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments to investigate the effect of sire line and sex (castrates and gilts) on feeding patterns. Sire line A was of Pietrain ancestry and sire line B was a synthetic line that included Large White, Landrace, Duroc, and Pietrain. Sires from line A (n=8) and line B (n=9) were mated with PIC Camborough 22 females. Growth performance and feeding patterns of the progeny were measured from 40.2±2.04 to 120.0±2.85 kg body weight (BW). Pigs were housed in groups of eight, with two pigs from each line×sex subclass in each pen, at a floor space allowance of 0.9 m2 per pig. Feeding patterns were monitored by a computerized feed intake recording equipment (FIRE) system. Line B progeny had higher growth rates (1036 versus 956 g per day, S.E.=15, P 0.10). Castrates had higher growth rates (P 0.05) feeding patterns compared to gilts. Feeding patterns showed significant changes with increasing BW: number of feeder visits and feeder occupation time per visit, and per day decreased linearly, while feed intake per visit and feed consumption rate increased linearly with increasing pig BW. The rates of change in a number of feeding pattern traits differed (P |
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