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A note on a comparison of two systems for rearing pigs weaned at 2 days of age, involving either a liquid or a pelleted diet

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. Braude
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AT
M. J. Newport
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AT
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Summary

In two experiments pigs were weaned at 2 days of age on to a liquid milk substitute, and from 7 days were either kept to 28 days in individual cages and given the liquid diet to a scale based on live weight, or kept in groups and allowed continuous access to the same diet in the form of pellets. The dry-matter intake from the pelleted diet was considerably less than that from the liquid diet, and the live weight of the pigs given the liquid diet was considerably greater at 28 days. The type of diet did not affect the feed: gain ratio. A liquid diet seems essential to realize the maximum growth potential of pigs weaned at 2 days of age. All pigs received a pelleted diet from 29 days and their overall performance from 2 to 56 days was similar regardless of initial treatment.

In a further experiment, the performance of pigs given the liquid diet was better when individually caged rather than when kept in groups.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1977

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References

REFERENCES

Braude, R., Mitchell, K. G., Newport, M. J. and Porter, J. W. G. 1970. Artificial rearing of pigs. 1. Effect of frequency and level of feeding on performance and digestion of milk proteins. Br. J. Nutr. 24: 501516.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Braude, R., Mitchell, K. G. and Suffolk, S. F. 1969. The Shinfield unit for artificial rearing of baby pigs with automatic feeding. J. Inst. Anim. Tech. 20: 4354.Google Scholar
Braude, R. and Newport, M. J. 1973. Artificial rearing of pigs. 4. The replacement of butterfat in a wholemilk diet by either beef tallow, coconut oil or soya-bean oil. Br. J. Nutr. 29: 447455.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed