Resumen

CRUZ, Elizabeth; ALMAGUEL, Ramiro Ernesto; MEDEROS, Carmen María  y  GONZALEZ ARAUJO, Carlos. Deep bedding system in the swine production at small scale. Rev. Cient. (Maracaibo) [online]. 2009, vol.19, n.5, pp.495-499. ISSN 0798-2259.

To evaluate the deep bedding system for the swine production in Cuba at small scale, it was carried out this experiment. Seventy two pigs (castrated males and females), YL (Camborough) cross, of approximately 21 Kg live weight and 75 days average age were used. The pigs were distributed into a random block design with two treatments (T1, deep bedding based on gramineous hay and T2, concrete floor). The animal performance traits (up to approximately 100 kg live weight) were studied. The animals of both treatments consumed a balanced feed based on soybean and corn meal and 30% of the wheat Cuban byproduct (byproduct of the wheat milling in the Cuban feeding industry), with enriched sugar cane molasses. There were significant differences for the consumption and the alimentary conversion (P<0.05) to the pigs housed in deep bedding system respecting to the pigs housed in concrete floor: 2.53, 2.74; 3.42 and 3.63, respectively. Significant differences were obtained (P<0.01) for the nitrogen and the phosphorous in the bedding material at the end of the experience: 1.79 and 0.58, respectively. There was not presence of Salmonella spp. neither helmints eggs. The sanitary quality of the bedding material, at the end of the study guaranteed to continue with a second production cycle. It was saved 177 m³ of water with this system. It was conclude that the evaluated deep bedding system for the swine production generates an important economic and environmental impact respecting to the conventional housing system and offers the main aspects to generalize this technology to the small and medium scale in Cuba.

Palabras clave : Deep bedding; animal performance traits; helmints.