Characterization of production factors and use of mathematical models to estimate their influence on daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio of grow-finishing pigs

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the production factors present in growing and finishing (GF) pig farms partners of a cooperative in Paraná State, Brazil, and to determine the influence of these factors on daily feed intake (DFI) and the feed conversion ratio (FCR). From 2010 to 2013, the historical production of 538 batches of fattening pigs in 175 commercial farms were analyzed, in an amount approximately 404,000 animals. A total of 40 production factors regarding the management, sanity, plant and equipment, nutrition, genetics and environment were taken into consideration. Pens with less than 20 pigs resulted in a reduction in DFI (P