A trickle feed system has a similar configuration to a short-stall system but it has more augers to deliver and drop the feed. Often one auger will move the feed into a feed box and a second will drop the feed from the box into the feed pan or trough at a slower, “trickle†rate. The sows are kept in place by the trickling feed, which should be dispensed at a rate that the slowest eating sow can consume . This keeps any one sow from quickly consuming her feed allocation and then moving on to another sow’s allotment. The trickle auger typically dispenses feed at a rate of 0.17 to 0.44 pound per minute, and feeding times last 15 to 30 minutes. Producers may opt to use a trickle feed system, instead of a short-stall system, to decrease the competition for food in small-pen systems ( & Conner, 2013). The addition of another auger system may also require more maintenance and upkeep for the facility in general.
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