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Table 2 Description of independent categorical variables and their percentage of occurrence in the company

From: Factors affecting the daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio of pigs in grow-finishing units: the case of a company

Variable Percentage of batches in each category
Semester of placementb,e Summer / autumn (48.76 %); winter / spring (51.24 %)
Number of animals placedb,f < 500 (20.78 %); 500–1000 (55.04 %); > 1000 (24.18 %)
Number of barnsb,f One (42.14 %); two or more (57.86 %)
Stall ageb,f < 5 years (20.78 %); 5 to 10 years (53.26 %); > 10 years (25.96 %)
Reform of facilitiesb,f Yes (21.07 %); no (78.93 %)
Number of pigs per pen b,c,f < 20 (21.81 %); > 20 (78.19 %)
Building material/ barna,f Masonry (97.48 %); wood and mixed (2.52 %)
Type of feederb,c,f Conical semiautomatic (81.75 %); others (18.25 %)d
Type of drinkera,f Nipple (98.66 %); water cup (1.34 %)
Water sourceb,f Well / headwater (55.19 %); treated water (44.81 %)
Water pipes materiala,f Hose (1.48 %); PVC pipe (97.18 %); mixed (1.34 %)
Roof materialb,f Clay (87.39 %); asbestos / zinc (12.61 %)
Material used to separate the pensb,f Wood or masonry (18.69 %); mixed (81.31 %)
Floor materiala,f Concrete (100 %)
Pens with shallow poolsa,f Yes (99.85 %); no (0.15 %)
Slurry tanka,f Yes (100 %)
Electricity supplya,f Yes (100 %)
Waste lagoonsa,f Yes (100 %)
Ventilation fansa,f Yes (2.52 %); no (97.48 %)
Exhaust fansa,f No (100 %)
Humidifiers / nebulizersb,g Yes (25.71 %); no (74.29 %)
Compostersa,f Yes (98.37 %); no (1.63 %)
Trees around the facilitiesb,f Yes (43.62 %); no (56.38 %)
Barn’s position relative to the sunb,f Diagonal / contrary (44.07 %); parallel (55.93 %)
Number of feed useda,f Five (100 %)
Different feeds according to the sexa,f No (100 %)
Feed forma,f Pelleted (100 %)
Shock with antibioticsa,f Yes (100 %)
Routes used to administer antibioticsa,f Water (1.19 %); water and feed (98.81 %)
Programs useda,f Ractopamine / immunocastration (100 %)
Labour forceb,f Unfamiliar (24.48 %); familiar (75.52 %)
Number of employed genetica,f Three (100 %)
Breeds useda,e Large White / Landrace / Pietrain (100 %)
Sexed batchesa,f No (100 %)
Sex segregation in pensa,f Yes (100 %)
Ileitis, enzootic pneumonia, meningitisa,e Yes (100 %)
Glasser’s disease, erysipelaa,e No (100 %)
Originb,c,e,i SPU (42.9 %); farrow-to-finish units (57.1 %)
Sexb,c,h Barrows (11.85 %); females (12.92 %); mixed (75.23 %)
  1. aVariables initially rejected to the statistical analysis due to the absence of variability among its categories
  2. bVariables initially considered to the statistical analysis
  3. cVariables included in the final models
  4. dOthers: composed mostly by linear dump type (17.2 %) and a few farms with a linear semiautomatic one (1.1 %)
  5. eConsidering 683 batches as experimental units (n)
  6. f n = 674
  7. g n = 669
  8. h n = 650
  9. iPercentage of batches composed by animals coming either from a specialized piglet production unit (SPU) or from different farrow-to-finish units
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Porcine Health Management

ISSN: 2055-5660

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