Assessing the Most Suitable Floor System for Growing-Finishing Piggery Under Tropical Conditions Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process

Abstract

Studies were carried out worldwide for evaluating different types of floor systems for growing-finishing pigs, specifically for assessing their effectiveness on pig performance, health and behaviour, leaving the opportunity for using multi-criteria analysis in decision-making towards the selection of flooring type. This study aimed to select the most suitable floor system for growing-finishing pigs under tropical conditions, considering performance traits and farmers management aspects. The analytic hierarchy process was applied for seeking the best solution considering both the farmers’ goals and the pigs’ welfare. Aspects considered in the analysis were: economic feasibility, rearing thermal and aerial ambient, animal behaviour, performance, and health status. The input used in the calculation was based on the results of a field trial using three treatments: whole concrete floor, coffee and rice husk bedding, and wood shavings deep-bedding. Rearing conditions and pigs’ physiological parameters, performance, behaviour, and health status were analysed. When the floor system was considered, the most significant criteria were economic feasibility (0.31) and overall pig performance (0.31) leading to a final deep-bedding selection ranking of coffee and rice husks (1^st), concrete floor (2^nd), and wood shavings (3^rd). Conversely, when the animal welfare was considered, the most decisive criterion was health status (0.32), followed by physiological parameters (0.25), and behaviour (0.23) leading to a final bedding selection ranking of coffee and rice husks (1^st), wood shavings (2^nd), and concrete floor (3^rd). Results indicate that the deep-bedding of coffee and rice husks provided the best choice for both the farmer and the growing-finishing pigs.

Key Words:

• Analytic hierarchy process
• Multi-criteria analysis
• Pig farming

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the funding provided for this project by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brasília, Brazil.