Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T09:19:14.015Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The influence of dietary protein and level of feeding on the growth performance and carcass characteristics of entire and castrated male pigs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. G. Campbell  and
R. H. King
R. G. Campbell
Affiliation:
Animal Research Institute, Princes Highway, Werribee, Victoria 3030, Australia
R. H. King
Affiliation:
Animal Research Institute, Princes Highway, Werribee, Victoria 3030, Australia
Get access

Abstract

1. Three isocaloric diets containing 170, 210 or 231 g crude protein per kg were given at two levels, and offered ad libitum to entire and castrated male pigs growing from 20 to 70 kg live weight.

2. Between 20 and 45 kg, growth rate improved with each increase in level of feeding (P < 005) and, on the ad libitum treatment the food intake and growth performance of both entire and castrated pigs were similar. On the restricted feeding treatments the growth performance of entire, but not of castrated pigs, improved when dietary protein was raised from 170 to 210g/kg (P < 005).

3. During the live-weight periods 45 to 70 and 20 to 70kg, raising food intake improved growth rate (P < 005) but increased the food conversion ratio and carcass fat measurements at 70 kg (P < 0·05). However, food conversion ratio and the majority of carcass characteristics of entire pigs fed ad libitum were equivalent to those of castrated pigs fed at the lowest level.

4. Dietary protein level had no significant effect on growth performance from 20 to 70 kg or on carcass fat measurements at the latter weight. However, each increase in dietary protein in the live-weight period 45 to 70 kg depressed the performance of castrated pigs (P < 0·05) while that of entire pigs was reduced when the protein level of the diet was raised from 210 to 231 g/kg.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 35 , Issue 2 , October 1982 , pp. 177 - 184
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Agricultural Research Council. 1967. The Nutrient Requirements of Farm Livestock, No. 3, Pigs. Agricultural Research Council, London.Google Scholar
Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. 1965. Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. 10th ed. Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Blair, R. and English, P. R. 1965. The effect of sex on growth and carcass quality in the bacon pig. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 64: 169–176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carr, J. R., Boorman, K. N. and Cole, D. J. A. 1977. Nitrogen retention in the pig. Br. J. Nutr. 37: 143–155.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fox, M. 1971. Nutritional Evaluation of Meat and Bone Meal. Victorian Department of Agriculture, Division of Agricultural Chemistry. Divisional Report No. 2.Google Scholar
Fuller, M. F. and Livingstone, R. M. 1978. Effects of progressive feed restriction on the growth and carcass composition of pigs: comparative responses of gilts and castrates. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 91: 337–341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holmes, C. W., Carr, J. R. and Pearson, G. 1980. Some aspects of th e energy and nitrogen metabolism of boars, gilts and barrows given diets containing different concentrations of protein. Anim. Prod. 31: 279–289.Google Scholar
Kay, M. and Houseman, R. 1975. The influence of sex on meat production. In Meat (ed. Cole, D. J. A. and Lawrie, R. A.), pp. 85–108. Butterworth, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Manners, M. J. and McCrea, M. R. 1962. Protei n requirement of baby pigs on low-fat diets. Br. J. Nutr. 16: 475–482.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Manners, M. J. and McCrea, M. R. 1963. Protei n requirement of baby pigs. 2. Requirement on high-fat diets and effect of replacing carbohydrate by fat. Br. J. Nutr. 17: 357–372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newell, J. A. and Bowland, J. P. 1972. Performance, carcass composition, and fat composition of boars, gilts, and barrows fed two levels of protein. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 52: 543–551.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pay, M. G. and Davies, T. E. 1973. Growth, food conversion and carcass characteristics in castrated and entire male pigs fed three different dietary protein levels. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 81: 65–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prescott, J. H. D. and Lamming, G. E. 1967. The influence of castration on the growth of male pigs in relation to high levels of dietary protein. Anim. Prod. 9: 535–545.Google Scholar
Taverner, M. R., Campbell, R. G. and King, R. H. 1977. The relative protein and energy requirements of boars, gilts and barrows. Aust. J. exp. Agric. Anim. Husb. 17: 574–580.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whittemore, C. T. 1980. The Edinburgh computer model pig. Pig News Inf. 1: 343–348.Google Scholar
Williams, I. H. 1976. Nutrition of the young pig in relation to body composition. Ph.D. Thesis, Univ. Melb.Google Scholar