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Feeding sows for specific weight gains in pregnancy and its effect on reproductive performance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

Pauline A. Lee  and
K. G. Mitchell
Pauline A. Lee
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Church Lane, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AQ
K. G. Mitchell
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Church Lane, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AQ
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Abstract

Forty-five Large White × Landrace gilts were given food to realize energy intakes recommended by the Agricultural Research Council (1981) to attain maternal weight gains in pregnancy of either 40, 20 or 10 kg using a diet containing 125 g crude protein and 12·5 MJ digestible energy (DE) per kg over three parities. During a 3-week lactation period all animals were given a standard level of feeding. Maternal weight gains in pregnancy were much greater than those anticipated, for all treatments during each parity. The relationship between the actual and the predicted weight gains (kg) was the same for all three parities, actual AW = 22·62 + 0·71 predicted AW (R = 0·69). There was a large range of weight gains within treatments which was related to backfat thickness (P2 measurement (mm)) at conception in the second and third pregnancies, AW = 10·52 + 0·62 P2 measurement (R = 0·63) and to the change in P2 measurement, AW = 38·37 + 1·68 AP2 (R = 0·38) in the first pregnancy. The daily gain per MJ DE intake decreased wth parity and with decreasing energy intake. Numbers of piglets born and weaned were similar for all treatments; birth weights were also similar but there was an unexplained significant difference in piglet weaning weight in parity 2. There were no significant differences among treatments for either the total number or weights of piglets produced over the three parities.

Type
Papers
Information
Animal Production , Volume 48 , Issue 2 , April 1989 , pp. 407 - 417
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1989

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