FINISHING PIGS SYSTEMS RESEARCH:PRODUCTION, MICROBIAL AND MEAT QUALITY RESULTS OVER FOUR FEEDING TRIALS UNDER TWO CONTRASTING HOUSING SYSTEMS, FULLY-SLATTED VERSUS STRAW-BASED ACCOMMODATION
B.P. Gill, K.R. Matthews, L. Taylor and K. Hillman

Abstract
In this paper, results relating to pig performance, cost of production, environmental impact and meat quality from large-scale production studies under a three-year ?1.8m multidisciplinary research programme on finishing pigs, co-ordinated by the Meat and Livestock Commission, are presented. The main conclusion is that liquid feeding technology offers considerable potential for improving growth performance and feed conversion in the production of finishing pigs. These improvements translate into a net economic benefit of around 14p/kg dead weight in reduced cost of production. Liquid feeding also holds the potential for reducing salmonella carriage at slaughter, thereby improving consumer confidence in pork and pig meat products.

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