Call Feeding - Training

Call Feeding

Training
	Mean share of attended calls per training day At training start, the sows are still fed with using electronic sow feeding. While feeding an association of feed and individual signal is established using classical conditioning.	The feed access is continuously changed to call feeding in the course of the training. At the end of the training after 10 to 14 days, the sows only acquire feed if they attend their call. The automatic planning of the calls takes the weight and age of the sows into account to avoid issues from the feeding order which is associated with the social rank. Time buffers at the beginning and end of the feeding period allow the feeding of untrained animals and the repetition of missed calls. Dominant sows, trying to get station access by waiting in front of the station, are automatically recognised. They receive a special additional training to put them off crowding the station.